Category: Just Walk on By

Consider the story of Mary Campbell, a young ten-year-old girl with red hair and freckles, who someday was caring for her neighbor’s children in Western Pennsylvania only to.PLOP! Be kidnapped by natives and adopted into their families for the next six years. Although there was evidence that she lived a happy life with her Indian tribe, her story became a cautionary tale that planted hatred of natives in the hearts of Europeans, Therefore, leading to a massive racial genocide that wiped out seventy-five percent of the five to fifteen million population of natives. But why? You might ask. Why kill a huge amount of people only because of one event that happened to be misunderstood? What happens to be the case here is that the Indians were just too different for the Europeans to bear. Their skin was darker, their language differed, and their way of life happened to leave the settlers puzzled. This then evoked fear, making it easy to point fingers at innocent individuals who were brutally killed in the name of Christianity and so-called “ Civilization.” We see this same behavior with African-Americans and people of color today, in modern America. Through the use of personal stories and imagery in “Just Walk On By.”, Brent Staples effectively educates his audience; white individuals, on what life is truly like for a man of color.

At the beginning of his writing piece, Brent Staples starts with his personal story of coming into contact with a well-dressed white lady who appeared to be afraid of him. He asserts, “ My first victim was a woman—white, well-dressed, probably in her early twenties. I came upon her one evening on a deserted street in Hyde Park, a relatively affluent neighborhood in an otherwise mean, impoverished section of Chicago. As I swung onto the avenue behind her, there seemed to be a discreet, noninflammatory distance between us. Not so, she cast back a worried glance. To her, the youngish black man– a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket– seemed menacingly close. After a few more glimpses, she picked up her pace and was soon running in earnest. “ (Staples 1) He starts off here with sarcasm, initiating the woman as a “Victim.” enough as evidence to enable us to see that he was looked at differently despite the fact that he hadn’t come into close, physical contact with her, as well as giving us a hint that whites often call themselves victims to innocent behavior of black men. Hidden in this story, is the use of figurative language, and imagery. He paints in our minds the way he was dressed, and the manner of the lady skedaddling away. His purpose here is to help us create this scene in our minds, and get a better grasp of his point; People assume someone is a criminal based on the color of their skin and the way they dress.

Furthermore, Staples goes on to say “ That was more than a decade ago. I was 23 years old, a graduate student newly arrived at the University Of Chicago, It was in the echo of that terrified woman’s footfalls that I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into– the ability to alter public space in ugly ways.“ (Staples 2) By reading this sentence of the second paragraph, Staples employs the rhetorical appeal of ethos, helping us as his audience to see his character; a man of understanding. Through this, we can see that Staples has tried to put himself in the shoes of this woman, which would later be his main turning point for change. This helps us as an audience trust him more.

Similarly, he states, “ As a softy who is scarcely able to take a knife to raw chicken–let alone hold it to a person’s throat– I was surprised, embarrassed, and dismayed all at once. Her flight made me feel like an accomplice in tyranny. It also made it clear that I was indistinguishable from the muggers who occasionally seeped into the area from the surrounding ghetto. ( Staples 2) Here, Staples builds his tone of being angry, affronted, and wounded. He also incorporates the rhetorical strategy, Pathos. He wants us to feel exactly how he felt. He wants us to feel the unnecessary attack people of color are facing in America, and he successfully does this by being straightforward in how he felt and using the terms “ It also made it clear.” to emphasize how upfront and noticeable the discrimination in the woman’s actions is.

As Staples moves his argument from sarcastic to bitter, he starts being more polite, in that he shows his sense of understanding throughout his piece. “ I understand, of course, that the danger they perceive is not a hallucination. Women are particularly vulnerable to street violence, and young black males are drastically over presented among the perpetrators of that violence.” (Staples 6) This is again, a use of ethos. Staples is showing us his true self, his true character, that he is a man of understanding, and that he is willing to admit mere facts when it comes down to women being harassed in the streets, particularly, young men of color. His willingness to admit, and acknowledge that these situations indeed occur, is a sign of his intelligence and honesty which makes us as individuals and the audience, want to listen to him more, and actually process the information staples is trying to educate us on. It makes us admire him more.

However, he goes on to say, “ Yet these truths are no solace against the kind of alienation that comes of being ever the suspect, against being set apart, a fearsome entity with whom pedestrians avoid making eye contact. (Staples 6) Meaning that we as individuals should not judge a person based on previous news or experiences, and rather understand that not everyone is the same, and not everyone has negative intentions. We cannot judge someone based on what we have seen in the news, movies, or what we have heard. In this context, Staples is appealing to our sense of Logic; Logos.

Equally important, Staples orates about what it means to be a “young thug.” and how young men of color, tend to perceive what a “young thug.” is and should be. He mentions, “ Many things go into the making of a young thug. One of those things is the Consummation of the male romance with the power to intimidate. An infant discovers that random flailings send the baby bottle flying out of the crib and crashing to the floor. Delighted, the joyful babe repeats those motions, again and again, seeking to duplicate the feat. Just seduced by the perception of themselves as tough guys. “ (Staples 8) “ Unfortunately, poor and powerless young men seem to take all this nonsense literally.” (Staples 8) Here you have staples not only again showing us the type of individual that he is; non approving of gangs and violence, and an approver of peace/tranquility but also explaining to his audience why young men of the color act the way they do, and the process of how that behavior is formed. He also calls in “nonsense.” to show his consciousness, as an individual of color, of how silly and bizarre these young men are. In other words, he is agreeing with the fact that being in a gang and believing that you are superior to another human being, is claptrap. Which in return allows us as an audience to respect him.

Last but not least, Staples offers a solution to the issues he has been noticing in terms of being a colored man out in public and having to go through the pain and struggle of being avoided and mislooked. He says, “ I began to take precautions to make myself less threatening. I move about with care, particularly late in the evening. I give a wide berth to nervous people on subway platforms during the wee hours, particularly when I have exchanged business clothes for jeans. If I happened to be entering a building behind some people who appear skittish, I may walk by, letting them clear the lobby before I return, so as not to seem to be following them. I have been calm and extremely congenial on those rare occasions when I’ve been pulled over by the police.” (Staples 13) Here, he is trying to emphasize to his audience; whites that it is OK! People of color are not dangerous as it seems, and himself being a man of color, understands the wrong his people engage in, but does not allow him to change his self of being. He is proving with this statement that he cares about having to be looked at differently in the streets, it bothers him and he came up with a solution himself. It shows that he not only cares about how he is perceived but also about the white women on the street who have feared him. He is not selfish.

Similarly, Staples asserts, “ And on late-evening constitutionals along streets less traveled by, I employ what has proven to be an excellent tension-reducing measure: I whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi and the more popular classical composers. Even steely New Yorkers hunching toward nighttime destinations seem to relax and occasionally even join in the tune.” (Staples 14) Here, he is proving how his technique and idea of willingness to change the way he is perceived on the streets benefited and is being made use of. This allows us as an audience to feel for him. It allows us to not only feel bad for what people of color are going through but to gain an understanding that innocent people of color are being attacked for no reason at all and that we as whites and the audience should rethink a second time, before judging a person of color. Not every person of color is the same. We are all humans, made out of flesh and blood.

Through his lenses, Staples has helped us get a feel of what it’s like when someone sees you as a criminal based on the color of your skin. Coming from a family that potentially likes to point fingers and assume, this only helped me more in my mission to create a safe haven for people in my presence, and friendship. It helped me gain a much better understanding of the reality of a person of color, and it goes back to that same old phrase we’ve heard since elementary, “ you can judge a book by its cover.” Being a girl who has been wearing the hijab for almost two years now, I can strongly relate to Staples in that we are perceived differently based on our differences and false accusations. Although, I tend to see this due to a matter of fear, and not being completely informed and educated on culture, just like the Europeans with the Natives. If we as individuals, took the time to understand and learn about the different cultures that surround us, I truly believe hatred wouldn’t have a home in a big, diverse country like America. It is our duty as humans to lift up one another, regardless of our differences. Only through understanding and communication, can we achieve what the world desperately needs; humanity.

According to a 2014 study, 73 percent of all arrestees in the United States were males. This number increases to a whopping 80 percent when accounting for violent crimes. Brent Staples outlines the tendencies of his friends and relatives to become ‘thugs’ in his essay ‘Just Walk on By’. He attributes this trend to the idea of the ‘male romance with the power to intimidate’. To understand what is meant by this statement, we must first explore masculinity itself. What are its origins? What does it mean to be ‘manly’? What effects do these ideas have on males in society?

Origins of masculinity can be traced back to our earliest ancestors, the hominids. The actions of these early humans were based on the most basic biological drive, self-preservation. Their goal was to protect and sustain their bloodline. In order to produce the strongest descendants, hominids engaged in a type of natural selection called sexual selection. Simply put, males competed for mates. The male who was able to drive away or kill their rival succeeded in the opportunity to continue their lineage. Obviously, the ways in which we choose mates has evolved but a pivotal notion still exists; the strongest male is one who can intimidate those who seek to challenge him.

So, what exactly does it mean to be manly? As defined by society, men are self-sufficient, tough, and aggressive. Weakness of any kind is discouraged. Men are expected to figure out personal problems without reaching out for help. They are encouraged to always fight back, using violence when necessary. Males also fall prey to strict gender roles such as the expectation to be the financial providers for their families and to be indifferent to household upkeep and childcare. The key stereotype that begins this love affair with intimidation is that of toughness and aggression. Staples writes: “It is, after all, only manly to embrace the power to frighten and intimidate”. Instead of being taught the age-old mantra ‘violence is never the answer’, it is more commonly taught that boys are to protect their image by any means necessary, including violence. If a male does not follow these guidelines, he is likely to be cast out and labeled negatively by his peers.

It is these societal stereotypes that have made males more prone to aggression and violence leading to a disproportionate likelihood of criminal activity. If a male is placed in a situation where he is being challenged, by another person or law enforcement, these lessons tend to manifest in toxic ways. As mentioned by Staples, “We are to be valiant in the face of hostile forces”. If these cultural lessons are not followed, the fear of being shunned by his peers enforces his intimidating behavior in order to be triumphant. In my personal experience, I have seen this trend repeat itself constantly throughout my high school experience. One boy feels insulted by another; the immediate reaction is anger. His friends provoke a physical altercation, “you should beat his ass for saying that!”. The boy has two options: engage in a confrontation or refuse. If he refuses, he risks being dubbed as weak which is unbecoming for a man. It is a double-edged sword, wisdom or acceptance? Unfortunately, the ladder is often chosen since a man is expected to be tough not wise.

In conclusion, the origins of masculinity, the cultural lessons taught to males, and the effects those lessons have on them all influence Staples’ idea of the ‘male romance with the power to intimidate’. Historically, dominance among males is based on the ability to subdue challengers. This in turn supports the idea that overt aggression is required to be a man. If a male chooses to ignore the status quo, he chances rejection from his cohorts. Ultimately, it is these societal factors that encourage violent behavior. Therefore, explaining the irregular patterns of incarceration and crime among males and continuing the ever-present cycle of toxic masculinity.

Many minor communities are subjected to racism and discrimination but what exactly does racism refer to? Racism is the discrimination in order to add categories and show superiority among people of different phenotypic traits or believes and social standings.

To understand about racism, one first has to divulge in the nature of racism. It is usually assumed that racism has been a part of civilization since civilization started, that it is embedded into how people work and no matter what, it will always exist. One of the assumptions is that racism is derived from capitalized trade of slaves by elite white men seeking to dehumanize people for economic gain, and used racial differences to justify enslavement as righteous. It can also be assumed that even before this, some sort of segregation, or ‘proto-racism’ existed throughout native colonies as a way to define the differences between rival tribes. This could have originated with differences in beliefs and then evolved into facial differences. From this we can evaluate that racism is a practice bused to systematically oppress a race and used for segregation. Racism goes hand in hand with discrimination, with or without a recognition on the existence of labels. One such prominent one is the differentiation based on skin color: white, yellow, and black. The roots might be deep but it emerged as a major issue after one of the scientists decided to divide people according to their traits and prevent them mingling with each other do the future generations would be provided with much purer genes. Among the three major categories, individuals with darker skin are the biggest targets of racial discrimination and bully.

Brent Staples in his article ‘Just a Walk on By: Black Men and Public Spaces’ talks about the struggles he faced in on streets because of the struggles he faced. Streets that are constantly exposed to cultural diversity. Staples talks about his first encounter to racial discrimination at the age of 22 when he moved to the city for his studies. He comes across a young white lady, probably in her early twenties, on one late evening on a relatively deserted street who started to be cautious in his presence and walked faster in order to escape the black man she perceived as someone who was following her. Staples quotes: “To her, the youngish black man – a broad six feet two inches, with a beard and billowing hair, with both hands shoved in the pockets of a military jacket seemed menacingly close”. This, followed by many other similar occurrences, made him feel the tag of a mugger, a rapist or even worse being attached to him on the basis of his skin color.

Many researches have shown that men with darker skins, particularly black men, are expected to commit crimes more than white men even though this is merely a myth derived by mindset of people. Black men are more likely to be pulled over while driving, and are 30% more likely to get ticketed rather than just a warning compared to white drivers while speeding. Staples talks about similar occurrences, how being pulled over by police and being suspected for doing something illegal was a norm for him and all other black males. 90% of the time black person seen driving a fancy car get pulled over in suspicions of acquiring that far in some illegal way. It was something they had to get used to. Staples further talks about how a black journalist got hauled by police in suspicion of being a killer while he was investigating a life of a murderer in that area for his story.

Racism faced by Staples isn’t just limited to his skin color. It is also linked to his attire. When he walked around with his business suit on, he faced social discrimination much less than when we walked around in casual clothes. He also discusses about the time when he entered a jewelry shop to pass time while dressed up in his comfortable casual clothes. The female clerk got cautious and brought out a dog. Staples got the message immediately, knowing that if he stayed, she would call cops on him, he left without saying a word. This suggest that racism does have its links to a social standing of a person. People generally perceive people of higher standard of living as being superior to them or being safer or a harder target of objection and discrimination. People tend to comply to them rather than discriminating them.

Struggles of Staples and all other black men can be felt throughout the world. These struggles are also similar to the ones faced by Asians. How being as fair as you can equals your social standings and beauty. A lot of workers, particularly females, are judged on how white they are before being selected for a job. People in Asia, especially countries like India and Korea, can relate to this phenomenon on a very personal level as well. But is racism limited to the color of a person alone? Not at all.

As a child, I was born and lived in KSA, where I spent my childhood until the 7th grade before moving to the US. Being a Pakistan expatriate, Arabs, particularly Saudis, found ways to belittle us. The roots of racism there were based on pride and feeling superiority but it caused no less of a damage to expatriates who weren’t either from a western country or an Arab country. Being one, I was constantly a target of racism in public places. I once got pulled out of the line by my arm while waiting for my turn on the cashier desk. This act was performed by a young Saudi girl in my mid-twenties and when I protested, the criticized me instead. On another occasion, a group of Arab teenagers deliberately pushed me while I was walking, due to which I almost fell but I received no apology. Instead, one of them said: “Watch where you are going you dirty expatriate!”. At times I would come across group of Arab girls looking at me with disgust even though I’m relatively fair skinned and good looking. Being cursed by locals there passing by was a normal almost all expatriates had experienced at least once and I had been through it quite regularly.

Racism has enveloped the world in many different forms. A person’s social standings also has a lot to do with how he/she would be treated in a society. And among many branches of racism, cultural racism plays a very important part. Cultural racism, sometimes also known as neo-racism, is referred to discrimination in a community solely based on cultural differences between ethnic or racial groups. This is usually based on a cast of a person or what tribe he belongs to or what religion he follows. One of the biggest examples of this is islamophobia, hatred towards Islam, a discrimination faced by Muslims in most parts of the world.

After the episodes of racism, I went through in KSA, I shifted to US due to my father’s posting. I thought things would be different there since it’s a country of freedom, where a lot of cultures interact with each other on. Daily basis, but I couldn’t have been more wrong than I was. Things got worse in US. I was constantly a target of cultural racism for being a practicing ‘Muslim brown girl’. I was looked down upon by my fellow classmates for belonging to a country that was way underdeveloped compared to US. And my religious believes help pour oil on the burning fire. I faced a strong discrimination in my school as well as my neighborhood. Kids in my school practically isolated me. I was treated as a rotten bean in a box of tasty peaches. One weekday, when I opened my locker after arriving to my school, I found out trash out of a garbage can dumped inside my locker which was tainted with negative degrading words in spray paint. Soon after that I found my stuff to be regularly missing and my fellow schoolmates trying to trip me whenever I would walk down the hall or rows of tables. I would sometimes find assorted dead insects inside my table drawer.

Walking back home was no less of a hurdle. I would be called a terrorist or a member of ISIS and taxi drivers would refuse to drive me back home, so moat of the time I was forced to walk to my house which came after 13 blocks, a whole mile away from my school. As soon as I would enter my neighborhood, I would find my neighbors glaring and throwing shades at me. Sometimes my parents would walk up in the middle of the night to the sound of either our car or our house windows glass shattering. Our car would get constantly scratched and even while driving, the police would pull us over suspecting us to either be involved in some illegal business or being an illegal immigrant.

This did not stop even after I shifted back to Pakistan. I was mostly isolated by most of my family members under the prejudice that I was a foreigner to them and my social standing was totally different for them to associate with me. Coming to Pakistan, I also came across a major discrimination based on tribal and caste differences as well as which political party people were a part of. I was constantly looked down upon whenever I stated that I supported a party that was not in power and never won elections before. One of my friends had faced countless of bullying just because she wasn’t a Syed and was relatively poor than most of the people in my neighborhood.

Throughout my experience I learned that racism in our modern society not only target those possessing darker skin shades but also those who either deviate from the norms of that society or a part of a minority. But that’s not all, I have learned throughout my experience that racism is a mean to impose power and belittle others. And even though they say that racism can be battled, from my experience I’ve learned that the roots of it are present in all of our society in variety of forms and that it has now been embedded deeply into our human nature after centuries of similar mindset making it impossible to eliminate it.