Fighting Prejudice

In "Black Men and Public Space", the social issue of racism is brought to mind. Staples gives accounts of his own experiences with racism and how he is able to affect public spaces because of it. Much of this is due to outward appearance and stereotypes. Black people live more commonly in urban cities and ghettos and seem "scary" because media stories of rapes and muggings portray them as more violent than other ethnic groups. This is proven when Staples includes black people in the list of those who lock their doors as he walks by. The public has ingrained this vision of black men into every single mind, and it affects those whom the stereotypes are about more than the people that make them are harmed by those that the stereotypes form from. This piece aims to teach the public about the effects of stereotypical viewpoints. People judge based on outward appearance while in public spaces, so the piece leaves the question in mind: Are these people actually bad people in private, or is this just the public view of them? Before judging someone, try to think about what that person may actually be like on the inside, not just on the outside.