Just Walk on By: Breaking Racist Stereotypes Around African Americans

Despite the struggle to stop racial discrimination has made a significant step for the past thirty years, racism still thrives amongst us in the modern world. Racism has emerged to be such a deep-seated part of society to an extent that people tend to avoid perceiving it as a danger in daily lives. Brent Staples’ articles entitle “Just Walk on by Black Men and Public Space” is a fascinating and eye-opening piece of writing. Brent Staples in his article, “Just walk on by Black Men and Public Space” illustrates his experience of being a black man in public space, while he comes to understand the unbearable realities that racial discrimination carries. Therefore, this paper is going to analyze how Staples uses vivid imagery, change of public space and personal examples to inform the readers of his ordeals. Also, the paper will review and offer personal stance regarding writer’s claims concerning racial discrimination.

Staples uses vivid imagery as a way of getting his audience to relate to him, therefore, permitting them to agree with his viewpoint. Brent Staples describes the woman he meets in first paragraph as a victim of her actions. Filled with prejudice, the woman appears to be nervous and crosses the street, showing that she feels in danger and sees Staples threatening despite the fact that he is utterly harmless. Vivid imagery becomes a huge role in Staples essay. The author uses descriptive terms such as, “Both hands shoved into his bulky military jacket” as well as “As I swung into the venue behind her” (Staples 1). In this context, the terms shove, bulky and swung creates a aggressive image suspected by audiences. Another use of imagery description is evident when he says, “subsequent to a few more quick glances, she picked up her pace ad was running in earnest” (Staples 1).

As we continue, we notice that Brent Staples starts talking about his appearance. Staples writes the story from his own experience, has observed how whites closed doors of their cars scampering to the other side of the street for safety when he appears. Nonetheless, he is completely aware that he has the ability to change all that just by walking through. Brent Staples gives his personal perspective by making the audience to assume that he commits a mistake but eventually specifies how his actions were generated by the fear rising from his branded prejudice of being mugger, rapist and a criminal. Nevertheless, regardless of the above misconceptions, there is a lot of intense truth about the author’s assertions. In the end, in a display of fictional ridicule, the self-proclaimed, “ability to change public space” pushes the author to alter his personal behaviors as well as thoughts. Thus, when prejudices showed by the white group seem to be highly built-in for his night activities, he seeks a practical alternative. Consequently, in what seem to be the most memorable last portion of his article, Staples enlightens the audience how he has found out to alter tense situations into friendly and sociable ones (Staples 1). The writer informs the readers that even after all this he believes it has made a positive impact in his personal experience.

The author uses personal illustration through the entire narrative accompanied by direct quotes obtained from other books he has read that he associates within the story. Therefore, Staples personal examples make his narrative to be strong and fascinating since it displays his personal perspective and he makes use of different narratives to support his position making it tricky to argue against him. While different observations originate from writer’s personal experiences, the article is creditable for its thoughts of complementary point of view. For example, referring to Norman Podhoretz controversial publication called “My Negro Problem and Ours” actually is used by the writer to reveal the many challenges faced by African Americans in history (Staples 2). Aside from, racist tone used by Staples in the article, he fails to show some of the major illustrations that Podhoretz made in his article. For example, the writer agrees with Podhoretz’ in recognizing the specific types of ideas that African-American experience (Staples 2). However, the primary issue with author’s evaluation of Podhoretz’s thoughts is its proper categorization for all African American men, since this is not appropriate to classify an entire society as suffering from cautious temper.

I personally agree with Staples effective persuasion to the readers when he says that not all black people cause harm and they should seize from being racists. Besides, he goes further to convince the reader to embrace empathy towards black people. Staples’s writing appropriately digs out heartfelt emotions faced by other black men when prejudiced. The brutal situations black people have to deal with is so disappointing especially in present time. Brent Staples’ article is an outstanding piece of literature given that it hints on African American as well as other ethnic groups. In the article, the writer makes several compelling remarks and poignant observations concerning the injustice blacks undergo in routine social places. Truly, Staples shows his honest anger for a clear rooted problem. (Staples 2-4). Also, what makes this particular writing exceptional is the writer’s predictable alternative for the issue. In the situation of making use of vital perspective of intolerant confrontation to tackle racial injustices, in which he makes an attempt to visualize the White American’s belief and respond maturely. As the reason used by Staples could be assumed to be weak coupled with submissive attitude, it calls for courage for anyone of minority group to prove his or her worth. Of course, this is a noticeable observation in the perspective minority groups hence the writing offers clarity for why such issues are the way they are perceived to be in support of author’s arguments.

The author aims at expressing his experiences regarding racial discrimination and to inform white people what black men undergo when subjected to racism. Therefore, in this particular essay the writer illustrates the panic his existence stirs up in people on the streets moreover demonstrates measures he deployed to shun strangers, particularly whites who could have the wrong perception about him as black in the American society.