Black Men and Public Space and The Middle Class Blacks Burden

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The last few years have been marked by a surge in racial tension in the United States. It seems that after several reforms and political movements, racial justice remains out of reach. In this day and age, it is especially important to turn to older essays on the questions of race in America and critically examine their contents. They provide a necessary context for todays struggles as well as allow to benchmark recent progress or shortcomings against the previous situation. The overarching theme traversing many write-ups is a black persons place in society as well as their own and non-black peoples perception of their status. This essay compares and contrasts two such essays Black Men and Public Space by Staples and The Middle-Class Blacks Burden by McLain.

In his essay, Staples explores the perception of black men by non-black people, predominantly women, in public places. The narration is set in Chicago and New York, in particular, Manhattan and Brooklyn. The authors observations and personal experience led him to the conclusion that non-blacks see black men as a menace, especially in secluded, desolate, or poorly lit places. Staples puts forward the idea that non-black people do have some grounds to fear black men as, statistically, they are most likely to be perpetrators of violence. Still, diminishing every person to a stereotype is hurtful and makes it every black mans responsibility to prove that he is safe to others.

Mclains piece also deals with the perception of black people in society, but this time, with their own ideas about being black and middle-class. There is no particular setting where the narration takes place; however, the author mentions Paris and the Deep South of the US. The point that McLain seeks to make is the conflict that middle-class black people have to face as they are detached from their roots but are not fully initiated into the White world.

Both texts are intended for broad audiences, though it probably takes some maturity and background knowledge to fully understand the intricacies of the racial dynamics that the authors are addressing. Black people may find the ideas and experiences described by Staples and McLain relatable. In turn, for non-black people, it may be a lesson in empathy and an opportunity to change their perspective on how they see and treat people of color in their lives.

The predominant tone that the authors use is serious and introspective. However, while Staples sounds more level-headed, McLains narration is more emotionally driven. The first essay addresses some of the authors hurtful encounters with non-black people as well as memories from his childhood that were far from happy. For instance, Staples writes how in his first year in New York, he had to learn the language of fear. The authors choice of words to describe his feelings is poignant he is suffering from alienation and faces frightening confusion.

However, the dominant impression of the article is not accusatory, aggressive, or resentful, though it is filled with remorse. Staples does not lecture the reader but rather invites him to a friendly conversation. His openness is evidenced by his clever use of humor. For instance, he calls a white woman who was obviously scared of him in the street [his] the first victim. The author ends the piece on a humorous note as he decides to whistle Vivaldis Four Seasons to show his harmlessness and good intentions.

If Staples essay is a conversation, McLains piece is more of a heartfelt confession. The author seems to be trapped in limbo between the black and white communities and rejected by both. McLains language is more metaphoric and evocative than that of Staples. She refers to the history of black people in America as a wretched past and the progress in civil rights as a hollow victory. This is why the dominant impression of this essay is that of desperation and confusion. The choice of words only strengthens them: for instance, the author insists that it is impossible for her to forget where she came from.

McLain and Staples use different text structures to convey their messages. McLain starts with a hooking thesis where she introduces herself and states that she was rejected by black people and patronized by whites. Throughout the essay, the author addresses both claims and comes to the conclusion that the black community deserves uplifting on the whole. Stapless structure comes in a circle: it starts with the description of an encounter with a white woman and ends with it, though with the authors new solution to downplay his menacing demeanor. However, the two texts have an obvious similarity as they are both written in first-person. In addition, the authors use a mix of persuasive and narrative writing. The narration of events is accompanied by or used for making claims and argumentation in their support.

The main claims made by McLain and Staples stem from the theses of their essays formulated earlier. McLain laments her detachment from the world of her ancestors and goes as far as to write that she is slapped in the face for her ascension to a better social status. However, the evidence for this claim is not easily found in the article. The author does not refer to any incidents where she was indeed criticized, if not ostracized by black people, for her success. In contrast, McLain adds a lot of detail to demonstrate white peoples racism that makes full integration into their community impossible. Staples does a better job substantiating his points and providing evidence. He described his lived experience of not only being avoided in the street but even calling security on because of his skin color. To the same extent, the author succeeds in proving that this fear is not completely ungrounded when referring to crime statistics.

Both McLain and Staples make their essays more persuasive by appealing to ethos, logos, and pathos. They establish their authority to speak on racial issues due to their origins and lived experience (ethos). As for logos, both authors provide facts and anecdotes, though McLain does so to a lesser extent. Lastly, pathos is McLains forte as her text is largely emotive and easily evokes anger at the twisted reality. It is not to say that Staples text is not emotional though less flowery, his manner of speech also brings out compassion.

The key assumption that the reader can induce from the present essays is that racism is systemic, pervasive, and ubiquitous. McLain and Staples will make you believe that what happened to them is not anecdotal, nor is it a minor aberration. Instead, racism is instilled in the social order, and its historical legacy continues to hurt black people. For instance, Staples admits that Black men share tales like this all the time. McLain infers her personal experience to appeal to both races. She does not just say many black people I met, but many black people in general.

One cannot help but notice that while Staples considers both sides of the argument, McLains view is somewhat lopsided. She uses the strawman argument to strengthen her points. The author is never concrete about black people envying and frowning upon her success it is almost like it is her own projection and not the reality. In other words, she created the image of other black people in her mind and attributed unfavorable qualities to them due to her own subjective worldview.

To recapitulate, the present essays may show some similarities at the surface level, largely due to their subject matter. Both Staples and McLain disdain racism and speak in first-person about the reality of living as a black person in the United States. Their pieces deal with self-and other peoples perceptions of race as well as hurtful stereotypes and generalizations. However, Staples takes a more level-headed approach to shed light on such a sensitive topic. He amplifies ethos and logos, considers both sides of the debates, and lightens up the atmosphere with humor. On the other hand, McLains essay is more emotionally charged, and its persuasive potential depends largely on pathos. The author does not always support her claims and prefers to appeal to the readers emotion through somber personal stories and vivid metaphors. In the end, Staples arrives at a minor change as an alleged solution to the issue while McLain calls for universal racial justice.

Works Cited

McClain, Leanita. The Middle-Class Blacks Burden. 1994, Web.

Staples, Brent. Black Men and Public Space. Ms. Magazine. 1986, Web.

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Black Men and Public Space and The Middle Class Blacks Burden

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