As we work to change tolerance in America, the bias of viewing black men as criminals is still prevalent. In his essay “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Ability to Alter Public Space,” Brent Staples analyzes the effects he has on those around him and expresses his feelings about his ability to “alter public places in an ugly way.” Staples' goal is to amplify persistent prejudice against black men, as they are often stereotyped as a threat. He hopes to change the views of others by describing how black men feel because of these unfair opinions. He supports his position by using strong imagery as he recounts his own encounters with prejudice. The author maintains a surprisingly understanding tone, he is also pleasant and easy-going, which broadens his audience to any reader. Black men can relate to his experiences, women receive understanding, and he also addresses those who act based on stereotypes. Staples uses credible evidence through his own experiences with racial profiling, which makes him a reliable source. He is able to gain the reader's empathy by expressing the pain felt as a result of his victimization. Staples often wrote about growing up in poverty. He wrote this essay in 1974, just eight years after Martin Luther King's death, as civil rights for African Americans were improving. However, discrimination continued even when segregation ended. Staples was a 23-year-old graduate student when he first experienced racial profiling, suggesting that he was not predisposed to expect this type of bigotry. He admits that women are more vulnerable and are victims on the street who need to be careful. It also recognizes the role that young black men play in being a large number of perpetrators of crimes. Through his genuine sincerity in attempting to change the viewpoints of others, Staples is able to persuade others to think before reacting and proves himself to be a respectable and reliable source of information. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Staples offers several examples of being treated like a criminal. He begins by remembering an interaction with a young woman where he felt like a criminal. predator for the first time. The first three words written in his essay are "My first victim" (p. 260), introducing the idea that he feels like a villain experiencing this encounter. He makes the reader feel his agony at being the cause of his fear by stating: “It was in the echo of this woman's terrified footsteps that I began to realize the heavy legacy I was about to enter” , acknowledging the discrimination he faced as a black man. While walking at night, he passed through the streets of Chicago where "blacks, whites, men and women" all locked their doors as they passed their cars, demonstrating that the same behaviors were exhibited by all types of people . While working as a journalist, he was mistaken for a burglar at his own workplace and had to rush to his employer to establish his identity. He was threatened by a jewelry store owner and her Doberman while browsing her store. Staples reflects on his childhood, explaining his perspective of growing up with a "fighting shyness" as he watched his friends give way to the seduction of power. He was not attracted to violence, but feels alone and isolated when he is feared on the street. Moreover,Staples goes on to say, “That was over ten years ago. I was 23 years old, a newly arrived graduate student at the University of Chicago. It was in the echo of this woman's terrified footsteps that I began to realize the heavy legacy I had entered into - the ability to alter public space in ugly ways. manners. » In reading this sentence from the second paragraph, Staples uses the rhetorical appeal of ethos, helping us, as the audience, to see his character; a man of understanding. Through this, we can see that Staples tried to put himself in this woman's shoes, which would later be his main turning point towards change. This helps us, as an audience, to trust him more. Likewise, he says: "As a meek who is barely able to pick up a knife to cut raw chicken – let alone hold it to a person's throat – I was surprised, embarrassed and dismayed. once. His escape made me feel complicit in tyranny. It also made it clear that I was indistinguishable from the attackers who occasionally infiltrated the area from the surrounding ghetto. Here, Staples builds his tone of anger, affront, and hurt. It also incorporates the Pathos rhetorical strategy. He wants us to feel exactly what he felt. He wants us to feel the unnecessary attacks that people of color face in America, and he accomplishes this by being frank in how he feels and using the words "That has also been made clear." to highlight how direct and visible the discrimination was in the woman's actions. Staples builds such a rapport with his audience that it's hard not to trust him. He is able to transform the outlook of others by looking at them through his eyes as he walks the cold sidewalk each night. He illustrates the sadness and loneliness he feels by demonstrating his desire to be equal. Although he understands why women have reason to fear for their safety, this fact brings him no comfort. He feels the “alienation” of always being a suspect to others. He actually claims that feeling fearful makes him fear for his own safety, saying that when people are afraid, there is "always the possibility of death." » for him. He demonstrates his desire to change the way he acts in public in order to reassure those around him by whistling the tunes of the moment. Thus proving the idea that he alone is capable of changing the ideas of those around him based on his own inactions and actions, leading his audience to a sympathetic reaction towards their situation. His openness to a wide range of emotions, the sympathy and understanding he gives to women, and his willingness to make changes he shouldn't have to make in order to comfort others, shows his true character. The fact that he holds back anger when it should boil over affirms the ethos appeal of the author's attitude and personal characteristics. Black men are singled out and profiled by the police, they themselves are in danger by being perceived as dangerous by the public. Its goal is to challenge the public's opinions and actions toward black men by demonstrating how black men feel about these prejudices. He does it very professionally, with fair and hopeful expectations. Staples offers numerous examples from his own life as well as that of another journalist who was mistaken for a murder suspect while on the job, adding that black men regularly share similar stories. He expands his argument by using direct sources where black men had a "firm place" being represented as aggressors in the.