Analysis Of Cosmopolitan Canopies By Elijah Anderson Essay

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The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended racial segregation in the USA. Since then, America has begun to learn that, no matter the skin tone, we accept all races and become one united nation. Elijah Anderson analyzes certain areas in the big city of Philadelphia and observes how different races and people act and acknowledge one another in the same environment. He describes certain places called “cosmopolitan canopies” where the display of public acceptance by all of all is intense and is a setting where a mix of people can feel comfortable (3). Anderson does a worthy job of backing up his argument with the different evidence he brings to light throughout his article. Although his argument covers how while we might have these cosmopolitan canopies we still have races that are considered “out of place” and how the black people and men in specifically, are seen in the society. For my class observation, I visited Dilworth Park Ice Rink and my reflection at the rink agreed with Anderson’s argument considering that the rink provided a cosmopolitan environment although his argument is now outdated.
As I sat on the Philadelphia SEPTA train on my way to Dilworth Park I picked up on certain things that made me grasp what Anderson said in his article. On the train, everyone kept to themselves, making …show more content…

He definitely backs up his argument on how people act a certain way towards public engagement and places where we can all feel as one, but I also think some of Anderson’s opinions and his choice of rhetoric devices makes it sound as if race and skin color is the main concern which makes his argument outdated and more biased. Today, people are more than just a skin color, we all can be around one another in a public place and feel gratified. Interacting or not I believe people can see a way past race and if uneasy in their setting it’s based more on personal defense rather than skin

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