Racism: Similarities and Differences In Two Essays

As a target of racism and prejudice, Brent Staple wrote Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space. Throughout this essay he explains his personal experience in public spaces and the stereotypes he has faced. Since society has deeply embedded their views of “blacks,” just their presence induces fear and causes unnecessary feelings and emotions to arise. Staples presents no anger in his decision to alter his actions and his appearance to ease those around him despite his skin tone. Societal views on blacks are based on reputations as a whole and not on each individual person, Staples presents this through the uses of point of view, ethos, and pathos.

The outside sources he uses help get his point across as to how society has affected the perceptions of many, especially white people. Staples references two authors, Norman Podhoretz and Edward Hoagland; both of whom create a tone of fear when it comes to interacting with, or even just seeing, black men on the street, framing the group as a whole as a bunch of criminals (Staples 542). By referencing these two outside sources, Staples develops his credibility even more, bringing in a contrasting view to show just some outside perspectives that confirm what he is discussing. He talks about how society is affected in many ways, including in prejudices, when it comes to the media; meanwhile, the essay written by Podhoretz and Hoagland demonstrate exactly the type of influence that Staples is concerned about. This addition shows that as an author, Staples is credible as he has clearly done research into the topic at hand, and it also serves to relate back to the message that he is trying to promote to the audience. Also, because Staples is writing about personal experiences, he is an expert in what he is talking about, facing stereotypes and dealing with them firsthand. He knows what it’s like to be constantly avoided due to a variety of reasons, such as subconscious racism and prejudice, the effects the media and forms of entertainment have on everyday life,

In his Essay “Black Men and Public Spaces,” Brett Staples’ illustrates the way black men are stereotyped, and seen as muggers, rapists, or worse. His purpose was to inform readers about how black men are mistaken to be aggressive and hostile individuals, and he planned on enlightening people who are afraid of black people in order for them to not be afraid when they encounter one of them. Staples begins his essay with an anecdote to demonstrate to his readers the focus for the rest of the essay. Brett Staples frequently narrates his personal experiences, reinforcing his message, and making the audience sympathetic to his point of view. Staples wants his audience to

Brent Staples essay, “Just Walk on By,” narrates his story about discrimination against black men. As a result of this, black men are stereotyped as dangerous or frightening just because of their appearance. In his essay, “Just Walk on By,” Brent Staples does this as he builds his persona with his powerful diction and his effective implementation of ethos in order to push his message of how people shouldn’t be hasty to judge others based on society’s views.

Staples starts his piece by talking about an experience with a white woman while walking in Hyde Park, which was a “relatively affluent neighborhood in an otherwise mean, impoverished section of Chicago,” (Staples 542). His description of how the woman reacts to him- worriedly glancing behind her at him before running off, scared- contrasts with how Staples describes himself: a shy, kind black man who isn’t one for violence, like many might perceive him to be. This contributes to his ethos, as it gives the reader a taste of what it is like to be a black man, which will be handy when Staples delves even further into his experiences as a black man, giving the reader a look into what he experiences daily. This also lets the

Brent Staples use of pathos though invoking a sad emotion that is invoked through me due to the situations he is put through with police, and people in general. “I could cross in front of a car stopped a traffic light and elicit the thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk of the driver – black, white, male, or female- hammering down the door locks” (174). This also invokes some anger at those people who are simply rude. “Then there were the standard unpleasantries with policemen, doormen, bouncers, cabdrivers, and others whose business it is to screen out troublesome individuals before there is any nastiness” (174). These instances not only show how only Staples was treated but how all of the black community was being treated in a dark era in American history. “The fearsomeness mistakenly attributed to me in public places often has a perilous flavor.”

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 in to 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

Staples explained what he went through when he was in Chicago, New York, and Pennsylvania. He tells us a story about why people looked at him in a different way and how they acted towards him because of his skin color. Staple’s voice showed strong emotions of frustration and anger in his story. His tone is very serious and calm. In his essay “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power To Alter Public Space” He uses diction, figures of speech, and syntax. He wants everyone that is reading to feel and try to get the reader to see what he went through and how bad it was to get around town.

Brent Staples is an author and editorial writer for the New York Times. His writing is mostly on political issues, cultural issues and controversies including races. In one of his essay written in 1986 which was published in Ms. Magazine “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples explains about his personal experience being black in an American society. Author wants his reader to understand that we are living in a culture with is constantly becoming violent and dangerous. Staples in his essay is gathering sympathy from his audience. He explains his thesis throughout the essay describing different incidents which took place in his life. Staples wants his audience to know how racial stereotypes has affected him as well as many other peoples like him and forced him to change so that he is not misunderstood by people and can prove himself fearless for others.

In Brent Staples’ essay, “Just Walk on By” the author describes his experiences, feelings, and reactions towards the discrimination he has faced throughout his life as a black man. Staples describes several different personal experiences of when he felt that he had been judged or discriminated against by other people based on the color of his skin and how that contributed to his overall appearance. Staples has continuously been perceived as a danger or criminal simply because of his skin color, leading him to have to deal with many uncomfortable situations. The author has even gone so far as to take precautions when he is on the street just so that he will not be

In his essay, "Just Walk on By" Brent Staples explains how throughout his life, it is hard being a black man without having others discriminate against him because he is a tall, black man who works as a journalist in a predominantly white field. In Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between the World and Me Coates is addressing his son about the truth of being black in a society that is inherently races and the constructed stereotypes on them by those in power. Both Coates and Staples agree on the fact that the black body is being systematically oppressed by the powers of this society. Being born black which is something Coates and Staples has no control over, causes them to be perceived as a negative stereotype of black people. This is a world where the black body has been oppressed and damaged throughout history, but yet maintain a fearful presence implied by Staples piece. In Brent staples “Just Walking by”, a black male’s body is capable of altering public space because the stereotypical projection of their race, causing others to do irrational things damaging he black body.

Staples starts the essay writing about how his skin color has a negative change on the public perspective. “Black Men in Public Spaces,” written in December 1986 by Brent Staples, tells about his life in Illinois as a frequent “night walker.” He starts

Author and editorial writer for the New York Times, Brent Staples, skillfully uses both his educational and racial background to exemplify and reflect on the harrowing times black men faced during the mid-1900’s. Growing up the oldest of 9 in 1951, he pushed himself through primary schooling and against the predications of most, was accepted into college where he earned his B.A, and eventually, a coveted Ph.D. His anthology of literary works focus on politics and cultural issues and popularly include, Parallel Time: Growing up in Black and White, which won the Anisfield Wolf Book Award, An American Love Story, and the piece in mention, Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space.

Fueled by fear and ignorance, racism has corrupted the hearts of mankind throughout history. In the mid-1970’s, Brent Staples discovered such prejudice toward black men for merely being present in public. Staples wrote an essay describing how he could not even walk down the street normally, people, especially women, would stray away from him out of terror. Staples demonstrates his understanding of this fearful discrimination through his narrative structure, selection of detail, and manipulation of language.

Nowadays, people seem to think that racism comes naturally and many speak in racist ways and don’t even realize that they are doing so. According to Alana Lentin in her book Racism and Ethnic Discrimination, “The idea of racism is so widespread that we easily mistake it for something that is just there:a fact of life”(vi). This quote seems about right because in reality,