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7.11 Argumentative Paragraph
Although Staples’ article is from 1986, our society still often sees African American
males as threatening, and these false assumptions impact how we treat African Americans in
public today.
The reason our society still views African American males as threatening is that people
continue to believe in stereotypes and not in their actual behavior. In Staples’s essay, he explains
how strangers locked their car doors, crossed the street, or even ran away the moment they saw
him, even though he had done nothing to cause fear. I have seen similar reactions today,
especially in videos where Black men are questioned, followed, or reported to police simply for
walking in a public place. These show that the stereotype of the “dangerous Black man” has not
disappeared; it has just taken new forms. Even though many people claim to be more aware of
racial bias now, their actions show the same instinctive fear Staples described. This fear affects
Black men emotionally and physically, because they have to change their behavior, i.e. Staples
whistling classical music, just to make the rest feel safe. The fact that Black men still feel
pressure to “prove” they are not dangerous shows how these assumptions are rooted in society
and is highly sad. When people react to someone based on race instead of actions, it reinforces a
cycle where Black men are treated as threats before they even speak.
So, this article is still relevant today, although it was written 40 years ago.