Brent Staples

In Brent Staples compelling short story Black Men and Public Space, an African American male explains his side to prejudice and stereotypes. Hence the title name Staples is constantly battling the relentless stares in public spaces. Throughout the text Staples continuously showcases that African Americans are still portrayed as violent, dangerous individuals. However, all the instances that Staples had been a subject in had all been based on rationale. In the past many African Americans were subject to being gang members, murderers, and rapists, thus the constant concern from people. From the beginning Staples uses an ironic tone stating “my first victim”(596), as his grand opening colluding the fact that he in fact was the victim not vice …show more content…
Wherever Staples is going to be whether it is work or pleasure skeptical eyes will search him up and down. People tend to alienate others if they feel threatened or scared and as readers we see this first hand. Staples had “the ability to alter public space in ugly ways”(597), however not one person had stopped to get his story or know him. No one had the guts to even attempt to know that “as a softy who is scarcely able to take a knife to a raw chicken”(597), Staples couldn’t harm a soul if he wanted to but for the rest of his life he will be stereotyped as killer, rapist, and criminal. He never goes out of his way to make people feel uncomfortable despite the irritation inside him of society; he actually takes people’s actions into consideration “over the years, I learned to smother the rage”(599). Despite the downfall of societal standings Staples attempts to give space to others and make them feel comfortable and not scared. He uses comparison and analyzes his actions as “equivalents of cow bells”(599), by way of whistling advance classical tones and making himself apparent to others that he isn’t defined as a dangerous