Stereotyping

In America, many of our minorities face stereotyping. It's natural for this to occur due to the mixtures of different cultures. Humans naturally stereotype because it is a way to protect ourselves from dangers. For example, earlier in human history, a human may have seen a lion and thought it was a cute pet, but once he saw the lion eat his friend, from then on, he ran away when a lion came. The same thing occurred in Brent Staples piece, "Black Men and Public Space." A woman who was "white, well dressed, probably in her late twenties" is Staples first "victim." Late at night, Staples happens to see her, and she is terrified by Staples. During this time, it was stereotyped that a six feet two inches black male with a beard was a bad person. A normal person during our time would feel like this is wrong and unfair to Staples, but back then it was common sense. Obviously there were men who fitted Staples image that were bad people and this innocent white woman was merely trying to be safe. Of course I am not saying that what the woman did was right, I am just saying that she probably felt from previous experiences that men like him were dangerous. Many people blame the person for being racist and stereotyping others thinking that they are ignorant for judging a book by its cover. It is rather the society and environment that have shaped their beliefs, not the person. The white woman in Staples piece is a victim too, not by Staples, but by society's ability to alter her beliefs and values. When we were children, we feared no one, and did not discriminate anyone. Through these years growing up, children's minds constantly are being molded; Stereotypes begin to become form and become defined. Everyone is born pure. Society is what stains our soul.