This is a response that my teacher asked me to do :)

1. Introduction: In his essay “Night Walker”, Brent Staples attempts to introduce people to
something most all are guilty of, but pay little attention to. Using accounts from his own and
others experiences, Staples’s essay portrays the racist tendency of people to assume black men
are potentially violent and dangerous. Staple’s discovery of this comes during a late night
encounter.
Summary: A young white female, whom Staples labels “my first victim”, was walking down the
street in front of Staples and was not comfortable with the space he provided for her. Soon, she
began running and disappeared down a side street. Of course, Staples had no intention of robbing
or in any way harming this woman. He was just taking a walk, just as she was. Most people
would rather not take the time to identify a person as a potential attacker or not, when avoiding
trouble is the best action they can do. “Black men trade tales like this all the time” says Staples.
While writing for a Chicago paper, Staples walked into a jewelry store in another well-off part of
town, and encountered another situation where his skin color came into play.” Staples also points
out in the essay that he is not alone in his encounters of this racism. In addition, the fact that he
was able to get an education and a good job despite the obstacles provided by his background are
commendable. He admits that he understands the fear others have of him.
Response: He should be free to take a walk whenever he feels like it, should he not? However,
people will always be cautious of anyone who walks the streets in the middle of the night,
particularly if they are within a reasonable closeness to harm you. Despite its few weak points,
Staples essay serves an important purpose. These incidents force Staples to make an admission
though. He also agrees that black men are often the perpetrators of such attacks.
Conclusion: A black man should be free to take a walk whenever he feels like it, but he should
always keep a safe distance between himself and others so that they won’t have any doubts that
he has intensions of harming them.