Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

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Black like me

John Howard Griffin defied all the odds by participating in one of the most daring social experiments ever reported. Black like Me thus exposes the double life of a man whose curiosity led the whole society questioning the situation at the time. The story takes place in the Deep South where race is a predominantly significant factor. At this period in time, the country has just gone through the Civil War and is in dire need of reconstruction. One of the factors that led to the Civil War was the opposition of the slave trade. The war resulted in the South losing to the North thus making the damaging the supremacy of the south. As a result, the white race in the South made the life of the newly freed slaves difficult making it hard to be black in the South. Griffin’s transformation is thus not only seen as a social experiment but a daring act that changed the lives of many.

The purpose of the story is to display the life of the African American through the eyes of a white man. The issue in this case mainly focuses on race which is not only a vital factor in the South but in the United States as a whole. The main characters in the story are John Howard Griffin who enjoys all the privileges of being a white member of the society. He chooses to rid himself of his comfortable state so as to take on the challenge of changing his skin color to resemble the one of a black man. Another character in the book is sterling Williams who represents the black solidarity and strength. He encompasses solidarity despite the levels of oppression he and his community have been accustomed.

The book definitely conveys its message whose theme is based on inequality and oppression the members of the black community face. The fact that Griffin changes his skin shows how significant of a factor race is in the society. At this time, people were judged not on their merit and demerits but on their skin color. This unfair culture thus denies the community their rights and privileges making blacks live in conditions that are repugnant to human life. The author brought out the lifestyle of both a white and a black man by living on both sides of the fence. He kept the reader interested in terms of educating individuals of the need for change and equal treatment in the community. His experience made a significant impact in the social setting of both the South and the North.

The climax of the book is realized when Griffin lets the public know of his six month long journey and the results of his actions. This part of the book exposes the level at which the country is divided. On one hand, his article is met with a lot of enthusiasm from his readers both black and white. This was not long lived in that he received a substantial amount of death threats of the whites in the South.

In conclusion, the 1950s were an important time for the country. The economy was changing from the agrarian system to the Industrial revolution. This changed most of the practices such as slavery which was profitable for the cotton plantations. From the time African Americans were granted their freedom, they experienced a significant amount of social injustice that left a lot to be desired. The African American community engaged in the creation of the civil rights movements. The actions of Journalist John Howard Griffin put pressure for the need for change.