“Black Men and Public Spaces” by Brent Staples In the informative essay “Black Men and Public Spaces”‚ Brent Staples describes his own experience growing up black in a racist society and discusses the interaction that take place with people. “The ability to alter public space in an ugly way”(302)‚ through racial stereotypes affected him and many others. Stereotypes affect individuals regardless of race‚ sex‚ or religion. Author Brent Staples states he has been racially profiled on
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What is the matter with today’s youth? I am referring to the way our young children parade themselves around in public‚ basically naked‚ flaunting their unmentionables. What is this world coming to; the old ways of being conservative and saving the rest for fantasy has flown out the window. For example‚ last week while at Wal-Mart I came across a group of peculiar young women one with a skirt so high there was no need to wear clothing‚ and the other completely ignored the outer layer of clothing
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In “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 moved
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College by Student’s name A Summary on Brent Staples’s “Black Men in Public Space” Brent Staples’s essay‚ “Black Men in Public Space”‚ was written to show how stereotypes about black men have affected him personally. He tells several short stories about how he was mistaken for some type of criminal. Using these personal experiences‚ he gives his audience insight into the cause and effect of these misconceptions. “To her‚ the youngish black man – a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing
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Although it is often ignored by those around it‚ discrimination is an impending problem in our towns. In the essay “Black Men and Public Space” written by Brent Staples‚ Staples responds to the racism he faces in various social situations. He reveals how he has “become thoroughly familiar with the language of fear” (1). As a large black man‚ people seem to fear Staples without a valid reason to. They do not see his character‚ but rather only his appearance. This reveals how people are fast to
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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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results such as Martin Luther King Jr. (Letter from Birmingham Jail)‚ James Balwin (Stranger in the village) and so forth. Brent Staples was one of them with Growing up in Black and White which won the Anisfield-Wolff Book Award in 1995. Beside that‚ "Black Men and Public Space" was also his interesting work with numerous rhetorical uses adding more effects in describing his experience on more than one occasion in his life: being perceived as a criminal simply based on his "unwieldy inheritance"‚ the
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kinds of things are the biggest parts of who you are. Yes‚ you can determine how you act and what you want to look like‚ but as far as the cultural aspect you are who you are because you were raised into it by your family. In the essay “Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples‚ he is African American because his parents were and now is stereotyped into being dangerous. He can’t control that though. Also‚ in the essay “Longing to Belong” by Saira Shah‚ she says she “..been cut off from my origins”
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Jeanty September 26‚ 2015 Essay 2- Reading Response Black Men and Public Space Brent Staples’ “Black Men and Public Spaces” is based on his personal experiences dealing with racism and discrimination. He explains how his past incidents involving racism shaped who he is‚ today. Staples’ experiences made him attempt to conform in a way he hoped he would be perceived as less dangerous. By acting and doing certain things‚ that seemed less “black”‚ he believed people saw him differently. In some ways
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The thesis of Brent Staples written piece‚ “ Black Men And Public Space” to me states that in America for a long time‚ we as black men had to deal with racial issues for a long time in this nations most disgraceful time period‚ slavery. Feeling like a criminal all the time is not a good feeling‚ as he stated‚ a white woman made him feel as if he was a mugger or a rapist and “that being perceived as dangerous is a hazard in itself”. This is a chapter in America’s history I know they wished never happened
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