7-5-13 Reading Review on "Black Men and Public Space" The Other Side of Racism In "Black Men and Public Spaces" Brent Staples writes about his experiences with racism and how it changes his life. He also helps people who have not been victims of racism understand the effects of their actions whether intentional or not. Staples starts his story by making the reader feel as though he is a criminal when he states "My first victim was a woman" and making us feel compassion for this woman.
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By: Black Men and Public Space Brent Staples wrote this essay with the main theme dealing with fear of stereotypes particularly with African Americans. For example‚ when he wrote‚ “ I could cross in front of a car stopped at a traffic light and elicit thunk‚ thunk‚ thunk‚ thunk‚ of the driver – black‚ white‚ male‚ or female – hammering down the door locks.” The word thunk is used as onomatopoeia showing a harsh tone‚ this also shows the major prejudice even within his own race. Brent Staples said
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really that much racism. That it has almost disappeared‚ but there is this story that will show you different. In the essay Black Men and Public Spaces you are shown how there is still racism going on in today’s society. The essay will show you one black man’s story about how he was treated differently and had to come through the struggles of being black. In this young black man’s story he talks about how he moves to a new place in Chicago. He keeps going through the same situation over and over
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In both “Black Men In Public Space” and “It’s Hard Enough Being Me” we see characters who‚ at first‚ view their identities a certain way. It is after they move to a new area and see the reactions of those around them that they begin to question their individual identities and start to consider how the opinions of those around them influence how they perceive themselves. Both stories call in to question the ways that gender and particularly ethnicity can influence how a person is expected to behave
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Chadrick Burks Mrs.Klinginsmith English 102 August 30‚ 2012 Black Men and Public Space Reading Response In the short story‚ “Black Men and Public Space” it talks about one man account on how people treat and view him as a criminal. When the reader reads throughout the story you find out that he really isn’t a criminal at all‚ but an educated black man who’s going to the University of Chicago to get his Ph.D. The shocking thing in the story revealed he didn’t even grow up a violent person
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Through Toni Morrison’s short story “Recitatif” and Brent Staples’ essay “Black Men and Public Spaces”‚ we see the similar topics of nonverbal communication and stereotypes. Through his use of a cowbell metaphor‚ and her use of handshake imagery Staples and Morrison explore the theme that nonverbal communication and stereotypes can affect how people act and are viewed in society. After living in New York for a few years‚ Staples learned to take precautions‚ so as not to seem threatening. He would
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The Black Lives Matter movement is exceptionally justified because black people are judged by looks‚ not by personality. Black Lives Matter is a prevailing protest that has taken over everywhere. Brent Staple in “Black men and Public space”‚ he talks how he was basically trying to live a normal life but couldn’t because of his skin want like everyone else‚ he is trying to tell everyone who is or isn’t black now black people can’t really live a typical life as white people. In the story Staples talks
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The mere presence of black men contain the power to invoke awe‚ discomfort and intimidation. This power‚ however‚ does not justify the grossly apologetic attitude and extreme behavior modification that Brent Staples exercised for the simple purpose of alleviating the fears and suspicions aroused by the presence of a black man. Brent says he smothered the rage that surely would have turned to madness‚ he kept a wide distance from people on subways who appeared to be nervous especially during the
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In “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power To Alter Public Space‚” Brent Staples discusses the development of standard stereotypes that can not just affect the actions of the victim‚ but the suspect. Throughout the essay‚ Staples describes himself in a sequence of events‚ and proceeds to tell the readers how people around him react. Brent Staples was a tall black man and always faced the same reaction when walking the streets during his late night strolls. People that were walking late as
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shaped his behavior. The author chose to use the response approach of ignoring the views and the defending actions of the people whom he met. He writes‚ “Over the years‚ I learned to smother the rage I felt at so often being taken for a criminal” (Staples 397). He even started making some attempts of calming down the people he considered were apt to be afraid of him. He kept distance with the people and moved carefully in order to avoid being mistakenly regarded as a criminal. His strategy was implementing
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