Black men and Public Space

In his book; Black men and Public Space, Staples explains how the idea that people have about you because of your race or your heritage can itself be a danger to you and the community at large. He narrates his life away from his fatherland as a freshman at the University of Chicago. From his experience, it is therefore obvious that being supposed as unsafe is a chance in itself. In the modern world, this idea has manifested itself in several activities and places; for one reason or another, the victims live a risky life.
One of the main indicators of an affected community is the presence of stereotyping. In this, the members of the community associate some characters or behavior to a particular group of people. A case in point is the racial drama in the United States. The white community associates the black community with all sorts of evil from drugs, theft, murder, to rape. Whenever there is a criminal activity in a neighborhood that consists of white people and the black people, the first people to be questioned are the black, despite their innocence or involvement. Whenever a white police officer pulls a white person over, the way he will handle them is much softer and friendlier that when the same cop pulls over a black man. They are always suspected irrespective of their positions in the society.

Another indicator is the presence of superiority complex within a society. It occurs when a section of the community, religion, race, tribe or culture, perceive themselves as more superior than the other. For instance, there is the perception that African and Asian countries are inferior to America and the European countries. Consequently, they are thought of as being weak and unable to survive on their own. For this reason, it becomes difficult for an Asian or an African to freely survive in America or Europe. They are always seen as refugees who have run away from the poverty in their country to find survival in the stable countries. These emigrants face intimidation and distrust from the locals that make them uncomfortable in one way or another.

The last factor that contributes to this hazard is the issue of religion. Here, the idea is manifested in two different ways. The first idea is that there are certain religious groups, specifically Islamic groups of believers that are perceived as terrorists when it isn’t the entire Islamic community that is terrorists but a specific group that tends to persecute Non-Islamic faiths. For instance, when President Donald Trump took over the American Government as President, among his first initiatives was to deport all Non-Citizens especially the Muslims. The move was mainly because he associates the Muslim communities with terrorism and feels that it is a threat to their national security. The other side of Christianity as a hazard is belief. There are some regarded as believers in God and those perceived as Devil worshipers. Those who believe in Christ tend to associate the devil worshipers with evil activities that according to them are not justified by the Bible. They avoid or seclude those who do not believe in their God.

In conclusion, therefore, there is a need for a harmonious living in every part of the world despite your race, religion or your economic stability. The greatest virtues that we ought to practice are respect and appreciation for every individual who makes up the earth’s population. When we respect and appreciate the cultures, religious beliefs, and race as well as support each other economically, we can achieve harmonious living. However, we have to be vigilant with the guilty criminals within us and not point fingers or raise accusations because of one’s skin color or background.