Safety Issue Of The Bus Barn

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.

By concentrating on an ethological approach, Dickerson also makes her family disconnect from stereotypes. In first person point of view, she is able to describe her situation through her knowledge and background. For example, Dickerson describes Johnny with a settled and calm tone of voice. She writes, “Johnny speaks little, never cries, never complains, works diligently to become independent” (225). Because he is black, most people would associate Johnny with violence and gangs. In Black Men and Public Space by Brent Staples, a black men strolling down the avenue was assumed to be a criminal. The color of his skin, in correlation to his environment, evoked a sense of danger. However, through an educated voice, Johnny is not that dangerous black kid who got shot. Johnny is a sensitive victim of an unfortunate shooting. It is very easy to label an individual according to racial status. For this reason, Dickerson is required to inform the reader of elements that do not support these stereotypes. The disconnection from stereotypes satisfies her objection, and broadens the perspective of society.

To engage a large audience, Staples appeals to readers with his use to two different points of views throughout the essay: societal views and black views. Staples tries to connect with the readers by giving examples of unconscious thoughts that run through the minds of most people when in the same situation as the “white women.” In his opening sentence, Staples calls the women a “victim.” In her own eyes, she herself was “victim” due to the influence of generalized stereotypes presented in our culture. She becomes quick to judge based on Staples appearance: his skin tone. Because of his color, his every action becomes nothing but threats and anxiety on the women. “She casted a back worried glance. To her, the youngish black- broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a

He later discusses how because of this type of repeated behavior he has been forced into changing his own habits and behaviors. He has learned to do little things to pacify the uneasiness that his presence can bring about, such as whistling while walking on the sidewalk. The nature of this fear comes from a shortcoming of tolerance towards the unknown and different. Similarly, is excerpt from the book The Race Card, by Richard Thompson Ford, in which he comments on the medias portrayal of a black man and again of a white couple during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Here the black man, seen with groceries, is being called a looter, while the white couple (in the same crisis), are simply referred to as residents wading through chest deep water returning from a grocery store. The inferences made are that the country and the former president do not care about black people as much as they do white people. The way to rid ourselves of these stigmas is to open our minds and recognize the fact that there are differences between us all, as individuals and as

In the beginning chapters of the book, we get a glimpse of the typical home and community of an African American during segregation. Many Africans Americans were too adjusted to the way of living, that they felt

In the article “Taking a Public Stance, Nearly Alone,” by Spence Halperin, the author finds himself in a situation where on a train, in front of approximately thirty people, a mother began hitting her child. As she continued hitting her, he was disturbed by the situation, and spoke up to tell her to stop. Upon reflection on this event, he noticed that of the only three people besides him to acknowledge his stopping her, the one who spoke quietly to the mother was African American, like the mother herself, and the two people who patted him on the back to acknowledge that they approve of what he did were white. He said he wished more of the blacks had stood up against the mother, and wondered if it was something cultural. His Arab-Canadian friend’s opinion was that this

of the blind hatred of blacks at the time this story took place. By blind hatred

In chapter 8,”Riding in the Jim Crow Car” written by Karen Schwabach. Myrtle a girl was forced to ride in the Jim Crow Car. The Jim Crow Car was a car on a train that was purposely made for African Americans to ride on. The car is usually hot,cramped, and uncomfortable, and the seats were covered in woven rattan. Myrtle had to ride in it because if you want to ride a train and were African American you had to ride in the Jim Crow Car. Riding the Jim Crow car affected myrtle in several ways. A way the Jim Crow Car affected Myrtle was by making her feel angry on page 92, when the train started to move and Myrtle fell down, a lady laughed. I think it was a disrespectful thing to do at a child. I think I would get angry as well because if

Throughout the story, the author proved that her intended audience was both racist individuals and their victims. By displaying the sadistic qualities of slave owners, she was able to teach racial supremacists that segregation is cruel. In paragraph 14, it states, “He pointed his hand and the Driver’s whip snarled around Sarah’s legs. Her sack dress tore into rags. Her legs bled onto the

I believe that the pitch of this article is the media and news in our country are ignoring the needs of African-Americans and other minorities. The complaint is many African-Americans have had many unfair and unlawful doings put upon them and they can’t do anything about it. The moment is the history of racism in the years since 9/11 happened. I think Biss makes it clear what she wants those three things to be in this piece by much emphasize of information on those three statements.

Next, Lily finds herself in the house of three African American sisters, seeking a place to live her. While contemplating lettering her stay, one of the sisters stress, “But she’s white… “ (Kidd 87). Though it seems as if it’s the white girl being discriminated against, but in reality blacks know the trouble that this gives themselves and how much trouble they could get in for this. The integration of blacks and whites was not only rare because it was looked down upon, but also because consequences would be given. Lily grows more than a friendship with a young African American and regardless of their feelings it’s nearly impossible for them to become anything more because of the fear of him getting in trouble for it. He explains this to her as, “Lily, I like you better than any girl I’ve ever known, but you have to understand, there are people who would kill boys like me for even looking at girls like you,” (135). Even those whites willing to integrate could not do it by themselves and during the Civil Rights Movement it brought everyone together willing to desegregate races. It was not immediate, but racial discrimination and segregation have extremely lessoned.

Dictating his behaviour whilst disregarding any remaining sensibility. I witnessed him wince as she hurled racially abusive slurs. I witnessed the desperation in his eyes as he looked around his surroundings, silently pleading for help. I witnessed the betrayal apparent on his face upon the realisation that fellow passengers would not assist him. It’s then that he voiced his need for assistance. I watched as he desperately searched for a hostess, stress exuding from his movements. His attention was rapidly drawn back to the woman as she shrieked in disgust, ‘Get this nigger out of my sight’. She raised her hands and forcibly shoved his shoulders. His body became rigid, as if he were made of marble. His hand twitched ever so slightly. The pregnant silence amplified by the lack of passengers helping. They remained silent, desperately trying to hide their guilt. The young man remained silent, shock consuming his body. The woman remained silent as she processed her actions. I remained

However, I do believe the author got his message across and was very effective in conveying his message due to the racist jokes of their 6th grade teacher and also by the struggles the African American students faced while attending the predominantly white primary school. Their 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Wickham, made very little effort to hide her racism. She contracts her

A question as to why lynching was accepted for people in the past. The writer touched on points that some of the readers may had not previously associated with lynching, from the different types of lynching (spectacle and underground) ,the economic benefits and consequences generated from lynching, the animalistic behavior of white mobs during, before and after a lynching; most importantly, to the strength and quiet rebellion that many of the black communities answered the violation during the Great Depression, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Another argument that is left to be unsettled is why the government allowed such horrific treatment and death just happen as if the African Americas meant nothing but animals in the "white world". Lynching was a shindig for whites. Whites waited to see an African American be lynched for whatever means, to them it was a way of life. In the novel the author expresses that no consequences existed to the people that performed the disgusting crime instead they remain looked up to for the

To avoid a confrontation with the four victims, most of the passengers on the number two express train sat away from them. First of all, their behavior could have been shaped from hardships in their early lives. Secondly, the security systems at the subway station could have been maximized to prevent the re-occurring crimes. Lastly, the media stereotypes black men greatly, and people are starting to believe them. Recall that in the given article,