Acceptance and Love as a Weapon Against Hatred in John Griffin’s Black Like Me

Black Like Me is a historical autobiography written by a black man named John Howard Griffin. One of the reasons the book is so profound is because Griffin was not born a black man. In order to truly understand the social injustice of the era, Griffin transformed his race with medicine and makeup. Griffin's experience led to many realizations that, although previously undiscovered to him, people were facing terrible treatment every day. The statement “He who is less than just is less than man” (Griffin, 1961, p. 45) shows how deeply he believed in equality and respect. Ignorance and impoliteness were frequently encountered by Griffin, even while being friendly he endured remarks such as, “they're getting sassier every day” (Griffin, 1961, p. 67). Throughout his journeys through the Deep South, including New Orleans, Louisiana, and many more states, Griffin finds acceptance by some and discrimination by many.

Using Acceptance and Love to Combat Hatred in John Griffin’s "Black Like Me"

Written in a first-person narrative, Griffin uses his diary-like entries to create his book. This gives the reader direct insight into his experience. Griffin's past experiences and knowledge likely gave him a sense of understanding and respect for people. His background of studying the effects of music on the criminally insane shows his innate sense of goodness and helpfulness for all people. Griffin’s purpose for writing his memoirs was to try and offer a sense of enlightenment to a hateful world. Griffin truly did the unthinkable, what nobody else at that time would have done, just to understand and teach others.

The Dangerousness of Racism

Griffin’s main argument in his work is the dangerousness of racism. Throughout his entire story, one obvious and evident factor is discrimination. Even a seemingly kind man thought it entirely appropriate to call out “boy” to Griffin, who is obviously an adult. Griffin himself was filled with fear and shock when he saw himself in the mirror, “I had expected to see myself disguised, but this was something else. I was imprisoned in the flesh of a stranger...a change so profound it filled me with distress” (Griffin, 1961, p. 101). Although not showing hatred for his color, Griffin did know his life would change, and he knew the fear and resentment he should expect. Griffin experienced the struggle of racism so strong he could barely find a place to use the restroom, grab a sip of water, or stay the night. Hatred was so common Griffin realized “That in a jumble of unintelligible talk, the word “nigger” leaps out with electric clarity” (Griffin, 1961, p. 112). This shows how quickly judgment was made based on one aspect. People's ignorance was so profound; he had lived all his life without experiencing this, when it was all that many people knew. Griffin argues the inequality of life is unjust; nobody should endure what black people had to live with. He argues for the judging of a person's character instead of their race, and the niceness of the black people be returned by the whites. Griffin conveys an urgency of change to the societal standards. The utter hatred experienced leads Griffin to feel that he's “had enough. Suddenly I could stomach no more of this degradation—not of myself but of all men who were black like me” (Griffin, 1961, p. 132).

Significance of Griffin's Work

Griffin's work is extremely significant for the time period. The delivery of his experience gives insight and understanding to an otherwise foreign idea, simply by educating the audience with his project. He is not only able to describe a day in the life of someone else, but he is able to experience it firsthand. “It reminded me of the...terror we felt in Europe when Hitler began his marches” (Griffin, 1961, p. 150). The effectiveness of his work is shown greatly in this excerpt alone. By comparing the treatment of others to a tragic event, Griffin makes the discrimination more known to a wider audience. Hitler, to this day, is one of the most widely known evils that has been on this earth, and Griffin's connection deeply shows the horrors that an individual's behaviors can affect an entire race. Despite the groundbreaking reports from Griffin, it could be argued that his method was not the most effective way of discovery. Although he is a reliable source, the fact that he merely adopted his race instead of being born into it could make him embellish the events slightly. Not to say that he didn’t receive hate and discrimination all the same, but his previously privileged life could have been a factor in the dramatic differences he experienced. Someone born into the hatred and racism would be able to convey a better sense of the daily life struggles, where Griffin couldn’t. A black person who was born black could have shown the depth of the struggles their entire life, where Griffin was only able to describe the experiences of the temporary transition. Regardless of the obstacles, however, Griffin elaborately describes his time as a black man and makes very convincing arguments towards the dangerousness and evilness of racism.

Tolerance and Understanding

The evidence of hatred is clear throughout Griffin's experience; however, tolerance and understanding are represented as well. P.D. East is one of the most important characters in the story. He is one of the most evident sources of a good person. East's treatment of Griffin adds to the powerfulness of his argument. Their interactions show that kindness is the only thing that’s right. Griffin expresses his argument for the evil of racism even more strongly with the use of a tolerant white character. He shows how if people can judge others by their character and not be set on an internal hatred, life can be better for everyone. “I knew of one white man...He has been persecuted for seeking justice in race relations” (Griffin, 1961, p. 69). Referring to East, Griffin describes a man who is not like all the other white people he has experienced. This shows that what is truly right should be done regardless of the consequences, and East knew that. Griffin’s argument is made all the more convincing through this.

Conclusion

This book is a very powerful piece of literature. For the time it was written and even today, it portrays a powerful message that everyone should hear. The message of acceptance and love as a weapon against hatred is a timeless lesson that will always be true. Despite not being written to entertain, Griffin's experience gives the reader a sense of fear and uncertainty, along with a sense of hope and light. The dangerousness of racism still exists today, but reading this book shows how far this society has come. Griffin's interactions with the few who were kind show that even in a time of fear, there will always be people who know what is right. There will also always be people who do what is wrong, however, and regardless of what they feel, love is the answer.

References

• Griffin, J. H. (1961). Black Like Me. Houghton Mifflin.