The American dream has been described as something that can be achieved by anyone to achieve success in America regardless of race, skin tone and cultural background, as long as they have the ambition to acquire that success. What is not made public to people is the reality of inequalities that affect those of different genders, races, religions, ethnicities or social classes. Black men in particular have been a major target of inequality throughout American history, making it harder for them to achieve personal success and live the American dream. The reason they have difficulty achieving their goals is because they lack opportunities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Because of the bad image society has given black men, those in power are less likely to give a black man the same opportunities that they would give him a Caucasian man. In “Just walk on by: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space” by Brent Staples he states that when he was working as a journalist in Chicago he rushed into the office of a magazine for which he was writing an article with a deadline story in hand and was mistaken for a thief. The office manager called security and badgered him to his publisher's door. Staples Quotes “I had no way to prove who I was. I could only move easily towards the company of someone who knew me." This is an example of what many black men face in America and how the behavior of those who hold prejudices against them can affect their opportunities. Brent Staples is not only a journalist, but he was there to deliver an article he wrote for the magazine. The behavior displayed by this office manager is evidence of how how others view Black men can not only affect their opportunities, but downplay their value making it harder for them to achieve success. The sense of powerlessness limits Black men's ability to seek positions of power or speak openly about topics they are passionate about without feeling fear of punishment. This problem can be labeled as part of the consequences that racial profiling has had in society. Racial profiling has created distrust in law enforcement, hostile environments for Black men, and social tensions in communities. Black men regularly have to experience uncomfortable and unfair situations because of the color of their skin, a good example of this is in "Just walked on by: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space" by Brent Staples. He mentions a negative experience he had due to racial profiling where he was walking at night and a woman thought he was following her most likely thinking of him as a criminal. Mr. Staples quotes: “It was in the echoing footsteps of that terrified woman that I first began to learn about the unwieldy inheritance that had befallen me: the ability to alter public space in horrific ways.” All black men have to do is simply exist to be associated with the negative stereotype that society has created for them. Without the opportunity to prove themselves otherwise, they live in a world where they will automatically be perceived as criminals. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Racial profiling of Black men from an early age causes groups of people to rebel against each other and lose trust. Our communities are an important part.