Words: 531
The mere presence of black men contain the power to invoke awe, discomfort and intimidation. This power, however, does not Justify the grossly apologetic attitude and extreme behavior modification that Brent Staples exercised for the simple purpose of alleviating the fears and suspicions aroused by the presence of a black man. Brent says he smothered the rage that surely would have turned to madness, he kept a wide distance from people on subways who appeared to be nervous especially during the wee hours, and even mores if he had changed from repressions attire into Shares.
Brent, in his own words, allowed people to walk by so he didn’t appear to be following them. In my opinion, this is overkill to accommodate the expectations and assuage the racially stereotypic and unrealistic suspicions of others. Smothering rage to prevent it from turning to madness is not only tantalizing but is an unnecessary, unreasonable emotion and expectation to tangle with for the mere purpose of fitting, functioning and thriving in one’s rightful habitat of choice. Brent
Staples’ concerted efforts to keep wide distances from people on subways who appeared to be nervous and allowing people to walk by so he didn’t appear to be following them is equivalent to sacrificing freedom of expression and failing or neglecting to celebrate his God gifted image which is black with billowing hair, engaging, unique, captivating and yes, perhaps sometimes imposing. Repressing one’s God given identity is a premium price to pay for not only the mere acceptance but the validation of one’s existence.
Staples during night walks down an empty street where one other person is present- a white woman acting petrified speeds up her pace, tightly reinforces her hold on her purse strap and eventually crosses to the other side of the street to escape the deadly harm this black man is sure to inflict upon her. At dark, shadowy intersections, crossing in front of a car stopped at traffic lights elicits thank, thank, thank, thank the sound of drivers– black, white, male, or female–hammering down the locks on the doors of their cars.
Standard unpleasantness with policemen, doormen, bouncers, cabdrivers, and others whose business it is to screen out troublesome individuals before there is any nastiness; pedestrians avoidance of eye contact; rushing into the office of a magazine I was writing for with a deadline story in hand, I was mistaken for a burglar – these far out reactions to the presence of a black man brings into focus the following harsh realities: America continues to waddle in the the often inflammatory and outmoded tendency to racially profile and territory black men.
Some of these very same issues appear to be responsible for igniting the recent Travois Martin controversy. As I examine and assess the behavior altering measures enacted by Staples, answers to the following questions inundate my thoughts. Whose perception needs tweaking? Whose reality is twisted? Is it Brent Staples’ or those reacting to the presence of a black man who stand to benefit most from behavior modification? Righteously and innately embedded in the sometimes intimidation.