Black Men and Public Places: Brent Staples

In the essay Black Men and Public Places Brent Staples discusses how people have the tendency to be cautious or even fearful of black men in public places, especially during the night and when they find themselves in solitude. The essay was incredibly realistic, and Staples managed to target the issue of this precautionary feel toward black men without necessarily considering it a stereotype. While discussing what may seem as an issue to some, Staples does not attack one race or the other, but he does allow some reasoning for why other races might be scared of black men. He states that black men are overrepresented in the categories of muggers, theives, and hoods. As I read the essay, I began to notice how Staples made mention of how he whistles the tunes of great composers like Beethoven to accomodate passers by who would suggest him to be a threat to their safety. This caught my attention because I feel that it should not be necessary for a race to make such accomodations for another. The essay was a good read and it brought back to mind, for me, the common phrase: "Don't judge a book by its cover."