In "Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space" Brent Staples discusses his ability to alter others emotions with his presence. Staples explains his thesis throughout the essay through narratives of incidents in his life. He details numerous accounts of people mistaking him for a thief or mugger. He explains one encounter with a young white woman, "on a deserted street, in an impoverished section of Chicago" (556). She glances back at him and disappears off into the dark. After the woman hastily escapes from Staples, he doesn't blame her for her actions. In each of these situations though, he maintains an understanding demeanor. He looks at himself and understands how the woman may be mistaking him for something much more dangerous.
             In paragraph two, Staples understands her thoughts of him being a mugger, a rapist, or even a murderer; but "her flight" makes him feel "like an accomplice tyranny" (556). It also makes him feel like he is "indistinguishable from the muggers," and lays on him and "unnerving gulf between nighttime pedestrians-particularly women" and himself (556). This confrontation not only shows how a stereotype affects the thoughts of a female walking at night, but how it negatively touches a black male. Staples gives example after example showing a bigoted label he obtains due to his race and sex. Not only females, but males of the specific race show a sign of uneasiness and discomfort when they confront black males in insecure and dangerous areas.
             A 'broad six-foot-two man with a beard a billowing hair is not a description that immediately lends itself to a friendly 22 year old grad student. At the time, he does not feel angry, just confused, as it like the first time someone labels him with a frightening stereotype. Now that he deals with so many people like her, he probably just feels sorry for the woman, as she...