Racial Stereotypes : Racial Stereotype

Through manipulation of language, Staples demonstrates his comprehension of the effect this discrimination had on innocent black males. Since he has had firsthand experience in this matter, Staples discerns his situation as an “unwieldy inheritance” with “the ability to alter public space in ugly ways.” Clearly, Staples feels as if he was cursed, for he was constantly treated like a “fearsome entity with whom pedestrians avoid making eye contact with.” This put him in an

Cofer’s autobiographical essay delves into the harassment of women in society, and how men perceive race as an invitation. She uses examples of times where she was publicly humiliated when white men would break out into song, attempting to be funny by using racist remarks. Staples’s essay is similar in that it describes society’s vision of black men, but it is not about harassment. Rather, he uses instances where he felt embarrassed by the way society viewed him, such as being mistaken for a rapist in the opening paragraph.

In Brent Staples’ "Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space," Staples describes the issues, stereotypes, and criticisms he faces being a black man in public surroundings. Staples initiates his perspective by introducing the audience into thinking he is committing a crime, but eventually reveals how the actions taken towards him are because of the fear linked to his labelled stereotypes of being rapists, gangsters and muggers. Staples continues to unfold the audience from a 20 year old experience and sheds light onto how regardless of proving his survival compared to the other stereotypical blacks with his education levels and work ethics being in the modern era, he is still in the same plight. Although Staples relates such burdens through his personal experiences rather than directly revealing the psychological impacts such actions have upon African Americans with research, he effectively uses emotion to explain the social effects and challenges they have faced to avoid causing a ruckus with the “white American” world while keeping his reference up to date and accordingly to his history.

In today's culture, people are often judged by stereotypical ideas about the color of one's skin. Brent Staples, in his article "Just Walk on By," illustrates multiple incidents where people look at him suspiciously even when he was doing nothing wrong. Staples takes on a somewhat tense yet satirical tone to inform his audience of the challenges often faced due to one's appearance even when on is just walking on by.

Brent Staples’ essay “Just Walk on By” informs readers of the corrupt stereotypes and social standards that still exist in modern day society. Every person carries a stereotype whether it be positive or negative, and for most, there is an unspoken assumption that everyone is paired with. Many times people are associated with specific things because of what their physical appearance dictates towards other people or which racial group they belong to. In ”Just Walk on By,” Staples uses rhetorical strategies to convey his message that unconscious racism and stereotypes still exist; he uses diction and pathos to create a frustrated persona while also inspiring the audiences’ apprehension.

In today’s society, people often judge others by the person’s race and gender. Some stereotypes are positive, but most of them are negative. In some cases, they can be true, but not all the time. Throughout his life, Brent Staples has faced many stereotypes. People often judge him because of his race. In his essay, “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space”, he employs various rhetorical strategies to describe his personal experiences of being stereotyped.

The techniques he uses to accomplish this are told in a story-like fashion, drawing the reader into the events. He uses powerful descriptions of what he calls his victims. Even his use of the word victim to describe the passersby on the street adds to the colorful and expressive style he uses to tell his story.

The use of such a hyperbole resets the predetermined assumptions that were made prior, now allowing for Staples to effectively make his claim as to how racial prejudice is often unfairly imposed upon black men that are otherwise harmless. By donning a new persona that is much more amiable, Staples is now able to effectively state his claim as to why this prejudice is undeserved and is within himself an example of why the association of danger and negativity with black men is

Kelly describes his experience with two interdependent African American stereotypes, the “prototype of violent hypermasculinity” (Kelly p.315) and the “Nice Negro”. The potent reactions Kelly receives when he veers into situations where he is stereotyped with black male violence highlight Du Bois’s concept of the color line. Du Bois (p. 374) states, “But the facing of so vast a prejudice could not but ring the inevitable self-questioning, self-disparagement, and lowering of ideals which ever accompany repression and breed in an atmosphere of contempt and hate.” Stereotypes are pervasive and infiltrate even those they disparage. Kelly (p.315) relates his high school girlfriend’s reaction to his “nice guy”

Media has become the key source of entertainment in United States especially on the sector of movie production. Most United States movies have some type of involvement with racial stereotype on specific ethnic groups. United States movies usually portray the negative side of African-Americans in all their movies. This is a huge problem to the society of United States especially black Americans. The presentation of the negative side of African-Americans in the media effects how they perceive themselves in the society and it also changes how other races perceive themselves. Many people may ignore the issue but it is menace because it is more related with racism. Many Americans and other races have lost hope in Americans because of the picture that is created in their minds by the media. Media argue that racial stereotype has no effect and it is one way of boosting movie and other entertainment industries. However, racial stereotype on blacks in United States is of no good at all. Racial stereotype in the media can be discouraged by the government of United States by instituting a law that would prohibit the production of movies and other entertainment materials that portrays the negative side of a specific ethnic group.

Racial stereotypes more or less affect our perceptions toward race, and judge people in a certain frame unconsciously, as Omi set forth in In Living Color: Race and American Culture. It greatly impact the images of minorities on the visual media, which the most direct medium to reflect the popular beliefs. Even though the “racist beliefs” have “just recently being reversed”, the portrayal of minorities on visual media is still not exemplary (Horton, et al “PORTRAYAL OF MINORITIES IN THE FILM, MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES”).

Staples begins his essay by illustrating his first “victim”, describing her as a “woman -- white, well dressed, probably in her late twenties” (Staples 1). He then continues to describe himself as a “youngish black man – a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair; both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket“ (Staples 1). By adding contrasting vivid descriptions of himself and the “victim”, it exemplifies the differences between their physical appearances. He, as an African American male, had untamed hair wore

In relation to stereotyping and prejudice, racism in effect is defined as the discrimination of a certain group of people as perceived by another group of people (Khan, Saera R. et al.). In Staples article, the issue surrounding stereotyping is brought forth in relation to the resulting prejudice and consequently racism as witnessed on Staples relations with the predominantly white community. “My first victim was a woman – white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties. I came upon her late one evening on a deserted street in Hyde Park, a relatively affluent neighborhood in an otherwise mean, impoverished section of Chicago” (staples). Staples statement suggests that the white woman is his victim even though we are quite sure that he is an innocent African American intellectual man. It can then, be argued that, through the constant stereotypes that Staples interacts with, prejudice makes him believe that he is wrong to be walking on the same street as the white woman.

In the essay “Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples explains how people showed alienation towards him and he found ways to be less threatening to the people. Brent Staples is a twenty-year-old graduate student from the University of Chicago. He says the people around him see him as a bad influence because he is black. For example, people judge him in many ways such as a mugger, a rapist, and a robber. In his surroundings, he tells us people saw him as dangerous and frightening. In addition, Staples illustrates “language of fear” when women are scared of him being on the streets. In public places people illustrates him differently like mistaken for a burglar and showing discrimination. Staples shows how he learned to take precautions

Brent Staples, in his literary essay “Just Walk On By”, uses a variety of rhetorical strategies. The devices he uses throughout his essay effectively engage the audience in a series of his own personal anecdotes and thoughts. He specifically shifts the reader's perspective towards the unvoiced and the judged. Within the essay, Staples manipulates several rhetorical strategies, such as perspective and metaphor, in order to emphasize the damage stereotypes have caused against the mindsets and perceptions of society as a whole.