Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples Summary

In his reflection essay, Black Men and Public Spaces, Brent Staples describes how being a black man simply in public can trigger unease in others, and in extreme cases even be deadly. It was very interesting to read the different ways he would diffuse uneasy encounters and how people would respond to those methods. He tells the tales of several interactions, starting in his early 20’s, with people who, consciously or sub-consciously, make the point to avoid his glare and presence. Originally published in 1986 for Ms. magazine, it was titled “Just Walk on By” but was changed to its current title for re-publication in Harper’s Magazine later that same year. Staples first relates an encounter with a white woman in her early 20’s in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. He was 22 at the time and just moved to the area to attend graduate school at the University of Chicago. In an attempt to ward off insomnia, Staples decided to take a late night walk. As he slides onto the sidewalk behind the young woman, she gives him a cursory glance and quickens her pace. Soon she was nearly running and darts onto a side street and out of sight. Staples was born in 1951, so I would guess the date of this first of many instances to be in the early 1970’s. More than 50

I appreciate the whistling of classic tunes to put others at ease. His point is very well taken that, “…everybody seems to sense that a mugger wouldn’t be warbling bright, sunny selections.” I lament it, though, because why should he be forced to make others around him feel comfortable? He’s just another man waiting for the bus or walking to work. I understand he uses them as preventive measures as it’s much easier to make someone relaxed from the beginning than to backtrack after they’ve become frightened. But the simple fact that he feels the need to do so is