{Just Walk On By

By Brent Staples

Presented by: David Perez, Stephanie Poole, and Nicolas Viera

-Born in Chester, Pennsylvania

-Born in 1951

-Editorial writer for The New York Times

-His books include “An American Love story”, “Parallel Time: Growing Up Black And White” (1994) Which won the AnisfieldWolf Book Award

-Parallel Time: Growing Up in Black and White,which tells thestory of his childhood in Chester, a mixed-race, economicallydeclining town. The book focuses on his younger brother, a drugdealer who died of gunshot wounds at age twenty-two

-Brent Staples usually writes controversies and issues includingrace as well as the state of the American School System

-Studied at Widener University in 1973 and then at theUniversity of Chicago in 1977

-One of his awards was the Danforth fellowship award forgraduate study at University of Chicago

Biography and Career

-This essay basically discusses discrimination, segregation and racism from white people to African Americans.

-Discrimination means treating of a person or group of people unfairly different from other people or groups of people.

-He remembers his realization of being perceived as dangerous just because of his color, and how this also puts himself in danger.

Many people, especially women, would feel threatened by him due to the fact he was a young black male. As he would walk down the street, other pedestrians would quicken their pace or cross the street to avoid him. Even as he walked through the hallways of the place where he worked, he was mistaken for a criminal. Sometimes people would feel so uncomfortable they would get the police or security involved.

The only thing that distinguished him from most other pedestrians was the fact he was a black male.

And yet he had to become very self-conscious if he wanted to make things easier for himself and others.

Summary

What is the theme of the essay?

What is the tone of the essay?

Why was it dangerous for the author when others perceived him as a threat?

What do you think he means when he says “My first victim was a woman?”

What did Staples ultimately do about his "threatening" appearance? Do you agree that he should do such things?

Discussion Questions

Discussion Answers

The theme is racism and discrimination.

We found his tone throughout the essay was rather calm, (if not slightly melancholy) as he explained the ways people would discriminate against him. There are also some ironic tones throughout the story, particularly in the beginning.

The author says that if he was to accidently corner a pedestrian in a way they may feel threatened, police could become involved and there could be a shooting. As Staples says: “Where fear and weapons meet - and they often do in urban America - there is always the possibility of death.”

We feel it was a good opening sentence to get readers hooked. However, as you read more into the story, you realize he was also being ironic. He has never committed a violent crime, and yet people act as though they are going to be victimized by him.

He would slow his pace and allow other pedestrians to pass him if they felt uncomfortable. He would also whistle a classical tune, which would make others feel safer around him.

Sources