Stereotypes In Brent Staples

797 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Stereotypes of black population

Every day black, white, and Hispanic men and women face many different stereotypes. Whether it is appearance based or his or her behavior. Brent Staples tells about a time in his life when he was viewed as a threat, and what he does to avoid coming across as a threat to the people around him. Throughout Staples’ work, “Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders to Alter Public Space,” we were able to see how people perceive others, based on how he or she looks or acts. “Black men have a firm place in New York mugging literature” (Staples 239). Brent Staples was a twenty-two-year-old graduate student just moved to Chicago. Staples’ first encounter happened late at night on the streets of Hyde Park. A woman, white, and in her twenties, was walking …show more content…

As a result of laying for the varsity level, I never really realize how your actions on and off the court affect how others viewed me. During basketball, my coach would have the eighth graders practice with the team, to get them ready for the high school. Throughout the team practices I would take things a little personal, by overreacting when the smallest things happened. For example, I would get so much anger built up when the practice teams were unevenly chosen or we started to lose our scrimmage game. I would get a little attitude, and played unnecessarily rough or just started messing up and would not care. However, when I did this, I failed to realize that the younger girls would pick up on my small tantrums, and it would reflect when they played. Watching the girls mimic my actions made me regret how I would act in practices and games. The younger girls would have moments when they lashed out, and took It out on other players. The phrase “Actions speak louder than words” is extremely relevant to my experience with my basketball team. The way I acted with my teammates was not necessary. Because of the way I acted, the younger girls felt it was okay for them to act the same way I did: rude, hostile, and bratty when in reality it was not. I feel the way I was perceived by the younger girls, was a remodel, someone who sets an example for those around them. I gave off the impression

Show More
Related

  • Racial Discrimination In Brent Staples's Black Men, And Public Space

    1582 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Brent Staples essay, Black Men, and Public Space the author talks about the ways he was discriminated against because of his race. In a few incidents when walking down the street many women thought because Staples was African American he must be a rapist mugger, etc. In addition, another

    Read More

  • Racial Stereotyping

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a graduate student at the University of Chicago, Brent Staples never realized before the strong stereotype against black men has he had the one late night walk. When on a late night walk, Staples, a young black man realized the stereotype that most Americans have of the young black male. As a young white woman was walking that night in front of him and caught a glimpse of Staples approaching her. She became uncomfortable in the situation and responded by running away from Staples. Not until this incident did Staples realize the negative impact of the young black male on other people, often resulting in being intimidated. He was not seen as a young bright adult with a prominent future, rather he was seen as a mugger, or worse yet a rapist. He did not ask to be seen as a misconception of what others may believe him to be. People were often quick to judge him based solely on the color of his skin and nothing else. He was a twenty-two year old black male that stood over six feet with a broad frame. Brent had experienced many instances where people would see him as a person he is not. For example, one time he walked into a jewelry store and instantly the cashier assumed he was about to rob the store. She replied to her false premonition by going to the back of the store and coming out with a Doberman Pincher to chase him away. It is instances like this that can scar an individual and make him doubt oneself, but Brent did not and he found that he could fix the situation. His solution to the problem was whistling. He found that when he would whistle people saw him as less threatening, even thought most low-lifes did not know Beethoven or Mozart. Still, he found ways to deal with his problems and so can everyone else who is judged only on their physical appearance. Similarly to

    Read More

  • How has the media's monolithic portrayal of African Americans affected the black race?

    1660 Words  | 4 Pages

    Portrayal in the media can have a tremendous affect on the way a person or a group of people is perceived by the world. This paper will focus on how the depictions of African Americans in the media have created a monolithic image of the group, and further, shaped the treatment of said persons. Although blackness has typically been defined very loosely with such methods as the one-drop rule stating that a person who has a single drop of black blood is black, today’s definition of blackness is synonymous with whatever the media suggests it is. Any black person perceived to be stepping away from the image carved out by the media is labeled as less than black. Meanwhile, any black person who lives his or her life in a similar fashion to the way the media suggests is supposedly reinforcing negative stereotypes. The constant scrutiny by one’s own peers and others outside of the race has put African Americans in a very odd position.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    As children we were taught that racism started over 150 years ago and ended in 1968 when the civil rights movement ended. However, the reality is that racism is still a very large issue in today's society. Brent Staples, author of Black Men and Public Space, proved that a well educated African American still faces racism whilst living his life normally. Staples discusses how other people are afraid of him and he is mistaken for a criminal by security and police while Staples is trying to live his life as anyone else, who does not face racism would. This new wave of modern day racism is not what it use to be in the 1960’s where African Americans had

    Read More

  • Summary Of Brent Staples's 'Black Men And Public Space'

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this narrative essay, Brent Staples provides a personal account of his experiences as a black man in modern society. “Black Men and Public Space” acts as a journey for the readers to follow as Staples discovers the many societal biases against him, simply because of his skin color. The essay begins when Staples was twenty-two years old, walking the streets of Chicago late in the evening, and a woman responds to his presence with fear. Being a larger black man, he learned that he would be stereotyped by others around him as a “mugger, rapist, or worse” (135).

    Read More

  • Brent Staples Discrimination

    542 Words  | 2 Pages

    The discrimination of white people to black people still dawdles even after the blacks took their freedom. Instead of having their own identity they are victims of discrimination and are stereotyped undesirably. Staples opens his essay with a story of him walking an appropriate distance behind a young white female that when she noticed him, she involuntarily picked up her speed appearing as if she was “the quarry of a mugger, a rapist, or worse” (Staples 110). Because of this, blacks constantly have this “precaution” they have to take when in public in order to make them less threatening. Brent Staples speaks about this notion when he takes precaution of the way he enters a building or his body language when he walks around at night even his response when pulled over by police (Staples 112). I do believe that these precautions become helpful because white American’s, no matter what, will always have a presumed judgment or schema in their minds about black people. The first thing that is assumed with a black person is negative or that they are up to no good. When Staples will be “ente...

    Read More

  • How Does Jock's Culture Affects Athletes?

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    “GET UP!” screamed my freshman soccer coach as I was on the ground, clutching my stomach. Some of my teammates also shouted, “Quit being a girl and get on your feet!” A clumsy defender from the opposing team kneed me in stomach during a corner kick when I jumped up to head the ball. I had the wind knocked out me and I couldn’t even take a breather. The game was still in motion and the players and the coach persistently kept yelling at me in order for me to get back to my position when the opposing team had possession of the ball. To say the least, I disliked the demeanor of my teammates and coach. Of course, not all individuals are like that, but I have dealt with some--teammates and coaches-- over the past few years of high school who frequently

    Read More

  • Tale Of Three Coming Out Stories By Angelou Analysis

    433 Words  | 1 Pages

    Contrarily, Staples references several personal instances of exclusion, in Black Men and Public Space (267-269). He references accounts of countless people's behavior in his presence at night (267) and the measures he adopts to prevent their disquiet (269). Not only does he tell his encounters, but he explains how he fits a criminal's description (268). His essay is a wonderful explanation of his experience, but it begs to question whether he truly addresses discrimination as a problem. It seems his approach minimizes the issue from social injustice to simply accepting impartial

    Read More

  • Hung By Oppression

    1309 Words  | 3 Pages

    Brent Staples also published an essay titled “Just Walk On By: Black Men in Public Space”, he discussed the prejudice and stereotyping he faced over something he could not control- his skin. He writes about how he is viewed in society, and though he never directly references oppression, it is evident that Staples faced it in his daily life, on multiple occasions.

    Read More

  • Eurocentric Hair

    1258 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the partition of Africa and the marginalization of its descendants continues, survival and socioeconomic ascension remain diasporic priorities. In America, there are oft unspoken yet resounding parameters for the phenotypically Black. It is understood that a Black person “shrinks” themselves in the presence of a police officer to avoid an untimely death, dilutes their opinions about race in White spaces to “keep their nice liberal friends comfortable” (Adichie, 359), and penultimately avoids wearing their natural hair in public so that they may appear “professional”, “pretty”, “non-threatening”, and “clean-cut”. It is paramount that the upwardly mobile Black person adheres to Eurocentric beauty standards because they reflect the morality

    Read More

  • A Woman In Black Analysis

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    This reflective essay is the story of an African American male and what his life is like when he goes out in public. The premise of the essay is that the author feels that because he is judged by society due to his race, he has to go out of his way to make others feel comfortable around him. He talks about how he will walk past buildings if someone is going into them and seems uncomfortable around him, or how he will whistle classical music to try to ease their nerves. The author even speaks on how he is treated differently by authoritarian figures such as the police, bouncers at clubs, and security guards, because of his race. Like the people he is surrounded by they act with extreme caution and will watch him more than they do his white

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: Women's Basketball

    1364 Words  | 3 Pages

    Playing on a basketball court with an audience showed me that people are always watching. It is your decision whether to put on a show or not, but know your audience is waiting. People will observe you on your good days and bad days. Do not let this surprise you. Even playing basketball when I did not score people would watch, they would judge, and they choose whether to encourage, discourage or do neither. For example, once in fourth grade a girl in my class who was not a friend of mine came up to me and said “good game last night”. Of course I said thank you preceded on, but there is no guarantee she meant this in a good or bad way. I know it is great to think that no one is watching, and that what you do does not effect people, but I could not think of anything further from the truth. As people we try to ignore this because it means less responsibility and also less self consciousness. Someone is always watching whether you like it or not. And because someone is always watching, it is up to you to be yourself and completely own up to your

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Racial Carding

    1547 Words  | 4 Pages

    Blackness have become objectified in public spaces, such as, the street of Toronto, the malls and even in prison. Given the negative stereotypes that associated Black males with criminality, they are constantly under surveillance. The social construction of race by the dominant ideology are still embedded in society that capitalized on minorities.

    Read More

  • Volleyball Observation

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    First I’ll talk about how the players’ behavior was managed throughout the practice. The coach interacted very well with the players; she was constantly teaching and instructing on certain details of every drill. When a girl didn’t get the drill or couldn’t master the technique, she calmly would stop and help her and make the rest of the team listen so they didn’t miss the full instruction. The coach seemed to be positive most of the time, unless a girl was talking while she was instructing, then I could see the frustration in her tone as she talked to the team. Other than that, the positivity throughout the team was pretty good. However, even though the coach was positive as she critiqued the girls, I didn’t see the same

    Read More

  • Perceived Threats: Stereotyping Black Men in Public Spaces

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    While we work to change the tolerance in America, the prejudice response of perceiving black men as criminals, is still a regular occurance. In his essay, “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Ability to Alter Public Space” Ms. Magazine, 1986, Brent Staples analyzes the effects he has on those around him and expresses his feelings about being able to “alter public places in ugly ways” (Staples 1). Staples purpose is to magnify the ongoing prejudices happening to black men as they are often stereotyped as a threat. He hopes to changing the view of others by describing how black men are made to feel because of these unjust views. He supports his position by using strong imagery as he chronicles

    Read More

More about Stereotypes In Brent Staples

Open Document