Reading Brent Staples story had a profound effect on me.

I truly felt sad reading his story about the stereotypes placed on him based solely on his skin color. Growing up as a middle-classed white American, I have never been exposed to situations such as his. Stories like this provide a window that I can use to see the other side of the world. Staples first mentions a specific example that occurred in the 70s that has stuck with him since. The simple factor of him being black and walking at night caused a young white woman to literally run from him. There was no suggestion from Staples character that he had any intention of foul play in mind. This is a typical example of the general idea that African Americans have a natural tendency to commit crime. What struck me the most is when he stated that he sometimes had to fear for his safety, in that doing something that could be perceived as threatening could end up in him getting hurt or killed, on the basis that the defender felt threatened. Bluntly put, being black in itself can be dangerous. A quick movement from a white man causes not a head to turn, however that same movement from a black man can elicit a wide range of reactions; from fear to violence. He has had to adapt his life to accommodate people around him, as to not excite anyone. It is in these facts that Im truly saddened, for this idea is still held today. The prejudice still exists, even now in 2014