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Brent Staples Just Walk On Summary

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Racism existed for quite a long period of time, from slavery to this current era. Black males were historically perceived as slaves, criminals, and rebels by other races. Regardless of what other races perceive of black males, there are some that act opposite of those perceptions, and Brent Staples proves this in his essay "Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space" by listing the stereotypical perceptions of black males, actual behaviors of black males, and stating what he, a black male himself, feels and does in response to those perceptions. Past actions of black males had altered how some of the other races viewed them, causing misjudgment. Staples were a victim of this misjudgment in 1973-74 when he was 22.

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