Analysis Of Just Walk On By Black Men In Public Space

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In Brent Staples essay, “Just Walk on By: Black Men in Public Space,” Staples describes the issues, stereotypes, and criticism he faces just for being a black man in public surroundings. As humans, we tend to evaluate and criticize everything we come in contact with, especially, we evaluate other people and we try to gain deep understanding of them. As Staples describes in his essay, a majority of Americans today, have constructed and monsterized the image of black men in our society. The negative stereotypes that are, til this day, being created of black men have a detrimental impact on black individuals. Black men have been faced with exaggerated images that has depicted them as inhumane and sexually lewd individuals. Furthermore, the media plays a major role in reinforcing the monstrous images of black individuals in our society. In his essay, Brent Staples succeeds greatly in demonstrating the current monstrous view of black men in America and the fact that racism is still alive today. He narrates a personal anecdote about the path …show more content…

But these monstrous portrayal, stereotypes of black men are still being reinforced because of the media. The media has a powerful influence in the everyday thoughts and lives of Americans, it acts as a model for many individuals. Black men are constantly being portrayed by the media to fit into the stereotypical roles of society. The typical roles are all too often the black sidekick of a white protagonist, the token black person, the comedic relief, the absentee father or most damaging, the violent black man as drug-dealing criminal and gangster thug. People tend to infer the images and messages of black men to mean that they aren’t doing anything positive and that crime will only be the reason a black man will approach you. The media reinforces the stereotypes of black men, by sending the wrong message to their

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