A Theme of Racism in Black Like Me by J. H. Griffin

The book Black Like Me is a nonfiction that was first published in October of 1961 by a white journalist and author named John Howard Griffin recounting his journey in the Deep South beginning in November of 1959 after undergoing multiple skin treatments in order to change the color of his skin temporarily. Griffin's experiment began at a time period when African-Americans lived under racial segregation. In Black Like Me, there are multiple instances where Griffen is discriminated against and he becomes “annoyed by those who love mankind but are discourteous to people.” The book was awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award one year after it was published to honor its important contribution to explaining racism and the appreciation of rich diversity of human culture. Soon after, the book became a modern classic and sold ten million copies. It was even so successful that it was translated into fourteen different languages and made into a movie. Even today racial oppression exists, although it’s not as blatant as it appears in Black Like Me. Griffin's work is still a powerful historical experiment that is used around the nation in school’s teachings. In the year it was published, the Newsweek described Griffin’s work as “piercing and memorable.” The racism Griffin faced “was a little thing, but on top of other little things, it broke something in me.” Griffin faced racial discrimination when he left his home in Texas to travel in the Deep South in places such as: New Orleans, Atlanta, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

Griffin’s goal was to experience firsthand the obstacles and hardships of being an African American in America so that he may get a better understanding of what life was like as an African American male and to find the answers as to why people believed it was okay to discriminate against someone solely based on the color of one’s skin. Griffin conducted this experiment aimed to make racists aware of their inhumane treatment towards African Americans in hopes of changing social moralities. As the book progresses, however, the profound changes he undergoes causes Griffin to learn at least as much about himself. The social message of Griffin’s experience comes across through the book’s narrative structure, which functions as a catalog of the different forms of racial oppression in the United States. John Howard Griffin, born June 16, 1920, was an American journalist and author from Texas who felt strongly about racial equality and depicted that through his writing. When he was in France, he noticed that black people are not treated the same as they are in the Deep South, which prompted him to want to learn more about racism, thus turning it into a famous, unforgettable social experiemnt. He is most famous for his Black Like Me project where he sought out to see life and segregation from the other side of the color line.

The main theme of Black Like Me is the depiction of the evil of racism. Racism was a big issue in the Deep South and Griffin aimed to change that. Griffin describes how painful it is to face discrimination based on the color of one's skin. He shows the ugliness of racists and their personalities distorted by hatred. The extraordinary personal change that Griffin undergoes as a black man is a powerful testament to the crucial importance of race as a factor of identity in a racist society, where one’s social hierarchy is largely determined by the color of one’s skin. The social message of Griffin’s experience comes across through the book’s narrative structure, which largely functions as a catalog of the different forms of racial oppression in the United States. Griffin writes about how difficult it is to even find food and shelter as a black man and how his experiment was ‘the beginnings of great loneliness”. The most humiliating part to Griffin was not being able to find a restroom that African Americans could use. Difficulties came with performing basic everyday tasks such as: riding a bus and trying to find an open seat and even sitting on a park bench without being negatively interfered with by white people.

Though there are many positive aspects of Black Like Me. One of the main positive aspects of the autobiography is that it is written in a first-person point of view, giving more insight of the everyday emotions and struggles that Griffin faces through the experiment. Griffin provides helpful viewpoints in the first-person point of view in order to give the readers a better understanding of what life is like for African Americans and how difficult it can be to be discriminated against. According to Griffin, “every fool in error can find a passage of scripture to back him up.” Although this format of writing has many positive aspects, like all pieces, it contains some negatives as well. Griffin was very brave to publish such a bold and powerful piece, knowing that no everyone would agree with the experiment he conducted. He was warned that “they would stop at nothing to discredit [him], and that many decent white people would be afraid to show [him] courtesies when others might be watching”. The messages Griffin aims to convey are clearly stated and thoroughly explains his point of view on the subject matter and focuses highly on little details that. Another negative factor in the book Black Like Me is that the authors point of view does not expose the minds of the racists. If the book included a point of view from some of the racists that Griffin meets, it’d give the readers a better understanding of the racial oppression. On the other hand, the readers are given a perspective from the mind of the oppressed. This book allows readers to comprehend how serious racial discrimination was during the time period of Griffin’s experiment.

Griffin shows no bias throughout his work, mainly because Black Like Me is a collection of his own personal diary entries with raw feelings exposed. Griffin as to deal with counter arguments presented by Southern legislators that claim to have a good relationship with African Americans. Griffin decides to travel to check out the claims that were made and investigate if they are true. Based on his experiment the “vast difference between what this country was saying and apparently believing, and what the black man was experiencing, was embittering”. Griffin presents a convincing argument because he underwent a dangerous treatment in order to gain understanding on social oppression. He conducts this experiment to see if people would treat him differently because of his skin tone rather than the qualities he has as a person. His experiment exposes the harsh reality of what life is like for African Americans.

Black Like Me is not written for one specific group of people, it can appeal to a variety of readers. However, Griffin’s work may be most insightful to someone who is a racist themselves. Griffin’s format is easy to understand and is written in chronological order. This book can appeal to young readers because it is written more in the form of a diary rather than complex sentences that may be difficult for young readers to comprehend. In conclusion, racism is a growing problem in society and if Griffin’s works were more widespread, maybe social justice would be put into place.