Black Like Me, John Howard Griffin (9 of 10 nice people)

I first heard about this book in my American History A.P. class. My teacher had done her own abridgement for us to read as a cultural study of life for the Negro in the Deep South during the Martin Luther King Jr. era (1959) in preparation for the test. A white reporter from Texas whose specialty is in racial matters feels compelled to really live as a Negro as it’s the only way to really discover their true situation. He discusses his plan with his wife, and she agrees that if he feels he must, she would consent to life as a single mom during his absence.

The experiment is this: Would the black Mr. Griffin- with the same name, skills, wallet, and even reason for being there (to study the condition of Negro life in the Deep South) be treated differently from the white Mr. Griffin? He consults a dermatologist who administers oral medicine in conjunction with long exposure to ultraviolet rays to temporarily darken his skin. He finishes up with some shoe polish to make the change more convincing, and emerges as a Negro in the same city he lived in for a time as a white. He visits the same drug stores and restaurants he patronized as a Caucasian-with the same wallet and name, but is met with drastically different experiences due only to the color of his skin. He searches in vain for a job in which he can use his skills as a writer only to be rejected repeatedly. His life is threatened on numerous occasions, and he sees first hand the putrescently tactless side white men unabashedly show to Negros in their conversation, which ironically serves as evidence that in some cases the white men’s characters are far more degraded than the Negros’. While much abuse, hypocrisy, and hate are found to be typical characteristics of whites (a side seen only by Negros, he notices) living in the deep south, Mr. Griffin does try to be fair in reporting the good as well as the bad of the people with whom he associates, whether they be blacks, whites, or of a mixed race. After weeks of his experiment he resumes his white skin color, goes back to some areas again as a white and publishes what he has done and the experiences he had. This, of course enrages many racists across the country which put him and his family at risk for retaliation. He's even lynched in effigy once.

As part of our country’s history and dealing with the subject of race and the discrimination that so unfortunately arose because of it, it is my opinion that the viewpoint Mr. Griffin has provided to the world at quite a personal risk is a rather valuable one. It is told from both sides of the conflict, which in this particular situation is fundamentally (but apparently not) impossible to do. The good news is this: my personal experience is that racial discrimination fades with each generation. Perhaps it is due to increased globalization, a more homogenous culture, more interracial marriages, and better education on the matter. I don’t know, I’m not an expert. Obviously the eradication of unjust treatment has come a long way since then, which is a very good thing.

This book is not a happy one, nor is it one I would want a child to read due to what it deals with, but it is a good resource as far as the social culture of the time and area are concern