Comparative Rhetorical Analysis: Staples vs Gay The false belief and fear of African Americans began once abolition became a possibility in the nineteenth century. Since then, the ingrained fear has grown to affect almost all people, regardless if they are conscious of their prejudice beliefs or not. Ross Gay, an associate professor of creative writing at Indiana University Bloomington and author of “Some Thoughts On Mercy,” shines light on the impact of racial stereotypes on African American people’s perceptions of themselves and the importance of acknowledging these fears and prejudices. Similarly, Brent Staples, a journalist with a Ph.D. in psychology and author of “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space,” demonstrates the changes
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During Gay’s encounter with a police officer, his good-nature and gentle persona becomes apparent through lighthearted confusion and gratitude when he states, “I looked him in the eye and asked as gently and openheartedly as possible if he could tell me why he’d stopped me” (Gay). The audience is able to grasp a better understanding of Gay’s positive outlook on life when he does not place the blame of racism on a single group. Instead, he takes the time to explain that all of society must acknowledge the issue in order to seek change because racism causes society to “all think the worst of each other and ourselves, and become our worst selves” (Gay). These elements help develop trust between the author and the reader, which increases the opportunity for audiences to consider the speaker’s …show more content…
“Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” argues that in order to survive and not be perceived as a threat, Staples must always consider the effect of his presence. While he knows his true identify and lack of threat to the people around him, he is aware of the subconscious stereotypes that plague the minds of others. Although people are not intentionally trying to harm African Americans due to their stereotype of violence, Staples understands that “where fear and weapons meet – and they often do in urban America – there is always the possibility of death” (Staples). This realization allows the unaware, white audience to gain a better understanding of the possibly fatal effects of their
During Gay’s encounter with a police officer, his good-nature and gentle persona becomes apparent through lighthearted confusion and gratitude when he states, “I looked him in the eye and asked as gently and openheartedly as possible if he could tell me why he’d stopped me” (Gay). The audience is able to grasp a better understanding of Gay’s positive outlook on life when he does not place the blame of racism on a single group. Instead, he takes the time to explain that all of society must acknowledge the issue in order to seek change because racism causes society to “all think the worst of each other and ourselves, and become our worst selves” (Gay). These elements help develop trust between the author and the reader, which increases the opportunity for audiences to consider the speaker’s …show more content…
“Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” argues that in order to survive and not be perceived as a threat, Staples must always consider the effect of his presence. While he knows his true identify and lack of threat to the people around him, he is aware of the subconscious stereotypes that plague the minds of others. Although people are not intentionally trying to harm African Americans due to their stereotype of violence, Staples understands that “where fear and weapons meet – and they often do in urban America – there is always the possibility of death” (Staples). This realization allows the unaware, white audience to gain a better understanding of the possibly fatal effects of their