Just Walk on by Black Man in Public Space Essay example

Sanchez 1 Evelyn Sanchez Mrs. Smith English 3 20 February 2013 Just Walk on By: Black Man in Public Space Brent Staples, author of â€Å"Just Walk on By: Black Man in Public Space.† discusses when the white woman he comes across one day late at night was constantly turning back as if she feared him for the way he looked. Brent highlights racism that has occurred to him during the 1970s. This encounter happened in an impoverished part of Chicago; he describes himself as a â€Å"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† as he was walking late at night he did not understand why this woman was acting strange as if she feared him, and she†¦show more content†¦Widener University that he attended on a scholarship and received a Doctrin in Psychology. A little after that he became a teacher for a while. Another racial encounter Brent faced was in the late 1970s and early 1980 when he worked as a journalist for a magazine in Chicag o, â€Å"One day, rushing into the office of a magazine I was writing for with a deadline story in hand, I was mistaken for a burglar.† He had to go near someone who can identify that he actually worked there. Another time he experienced racism was one day when he was killing time before an interview and walked into a jewelry store in the city, and the owner excused herself and came back with an enormous Doberman dog lashing towards him; he looked around and just nodded his head saying good night. Brent also explores another incident where a black man working for a newspaper nearby Waukegan, Illinois was working on a story about a murderer who was born there. The police mistaken him for the murderer and the reporter was dragged out his car by gun point. If it wasn’t for his press credentials the police would have probably tried to book him. â€Å"Such episodes are not uncommon. Black men trade tales like this all the time† says Brent. After being so often mistak en for a criminal Bent learned to be careful for how he approaches people and place, also if he is walking to the someplace as others in front ofShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Just Walk On By : A Black Man Ponders His Power To Alter Public Space1456 Words   |  6 Pagesbegan to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into – the ability to alter public space in ugly ways.† Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space, was written by Brent Staples. Staples was born in 1951 in Chester, Pennsylvania. He graduated Widener University with a B.A and the University of Chicago with a Ph.D. in psychology. Staples worked to correct the myth that the American stereotype of black people are defined only by poverty, violence, and crime. To white people,Read MoreBlack Men and Public Space841 Words   |  4 PagesBlack Men and Public Space Essay In Brent Staples’ personal essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he tells the readers what happen to a young black man in an urban setting. He pinpointed that people often stereotype you because of color, race, gender, culture or appearance. In addition, the author expresses to us that he notices the space between him and other people, such as women on the street. Some people may disagree that women set a certain amount of space when walking by a black man on theRead MoreJust Walk On By Brent Staples Analysis740 Words   |  3 Pagesmost public sidewalks, stores, and churches are open to all sorts of people, certain types of individuals are treated like outcasts because of their race. In â€Å"Just Walk On By,† Brent Staples explains how his presence makes others scared and uncomfortable because of the assumptions put on black men. Staples tries various tactics, such as whistling and walking faster, in order to deal the way others act towards him. Staples is nt the only one to experience the power of altering public spaces. At theRead MoreAnalysis Of Brent Staples s Black Men Of Public Spaces And Issa Rae The Struggle1237 Words   |  5 PagesStaples’s â€Å"Black Men in Public Spaces† and Issa Rae â€Å"The Struggle† Staple’s â€Å"Black Men in Public Spaces† and Rae’s â€Å"The Struggle† address misperceptions with ethnicity. Staples and Rae share similar circumstances making it easy to understand each viewpoint. Culture settings and gender define the authors’ differences. Both essays give the readers different perceptions of African Americans’ lives. Staples starts the essay writing about how his skin color has a negative change on the public perspectiveRead MoreYoung Black Male850 Words   |  4 PagesSummary of Black Men and Public Space Staples Brent in â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† described the difficulties that a young black male may encounter during his ordinary life. It is explained that, even if you are a well-educated citizen, but you are a black man—more than six feet height with a not shaved face—you could face unfair prejudice and judgment all the time in street. At the very beginning of the article Brent start with â€Å"My first victim was a woman—white, well-dressed, probably in herRead MoreEssay on Black Men and Public Spaces Critical Analysis998 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Black Men and Public Spaces†, Brent Staples is in his early twenties and is faced with the menacing crime of being a black man in the 1970’s. As Staples likes to walk the streets at night due to his insomnia, every stranger that comes close enough to realize that he’s a tall black man lets their fear take control of them as they avoid him to the point of fleeing. To the eyes of people (mainly women) at night, he was no different from any other thug or criminal who prowls the street. Having movedRead MoreJust Walk On By Brent Staples Essay1357 Words   |  6 PagesIn 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 thatRead MoreWomen s Unfair Fear By Gill Valentine Essay1483 Words   |  6 PagesWomen’s Unfair Fear Today, the news is filled with stories depicting rape and murder incidents of innocent females. These heinous events cause fear in the public. However, these terrifying scenarios have a far greater impact on women. This scary thought has far more effects on women. This mental agony and fear dictates their path and sense of direction. This indeed restricts the places, facilities and the time a woman travels in order to feel and be safe. This is explained in the article The geographyRead MoreAlter Public Space Essay example635 Words   |  3 PagesIn the essay â€Å"Black men and Public Space† by Brent Staples, he talks about how being a black man alters public space in a negative way. Altering public space is changing how a person, place, or thing makes you feel. It can be negative but it also can be positive. Some positive ways altering public space can be a friendly smile walking into a room, beautiful new constructions, and planting trees to better the environment. Most people go about their business, especially in a classroom. Some studentsRead MoreAnalysis Of Just Walk On By Brent Staples1653 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"It was in the echo of that terrified woman’s footfalls that I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into – the ability to alter public space in ugly ways.† Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space, was written by Brent Staples. Staples was born in 1951 in Chester, Pennsylvania. He graduated Widener University with a B.A degree in behavioral science and the University of Chicago with a Ph.D. in psychology (History). To white people, specifically white women