The first time this happened, he scared a young white women when he turned the corner at night, and she ran off, convinced that he was “a mugger, a rapist, or worse.” Brent shares instances of people locking their car doors or crossing the street when he walked by, but he says he can’t blame them, as “young black males are drastically overrepresented among the perpetrators of… violence.”
Ultimately, the reader empathizes with Brent Staples and others in his position. The reader comes to consider a city sidewalk or a deserted street from a different perspective.
In his essay, “Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples expresses his shock and dismay upon discovering that, as a black man of large stature, his mere physical presence inspires fear in strangers.
Obviously a gentle, harmless person, Staples’ view of himself is inconsistent with stereotypes, and he convinces the reader that he is anything but stereotypical. Brent Staples acknowledges that stereotypes are often deserved, but he relates personal stories and shares his emotions, allowing readers to put themselves in his place. Additionally, Staples points out the fact that being feared by others is often dangerous. Staples’s purpose is to reduce the stereotype for the group of blacks which is that not all the black men are dangerous. Staples is conveying a message to the public to not to jump to conclusions about people’s skin colors, appearance, and by their behavior.
I think the authors purpose of the story is to inform his readers about how he never felt that feeling of not being satisfactory in the eyes of the public.
Even thou the author does not blame people for having this prejudice against him, because he understands that the actions of many black men have created this image, he feels hurt by peoples reaction. It's a behavior we should try to change in our society to evolve as human