John Howard Griffin's Black Like Me

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The book Black Like Me was based on a man named John Howard Griffin. The time setting was in the 1950’s, when segregation was still at its high point. Griffin sparked a brilliant idea even when he knew his life would drastically change. He gave readers a first hand account of what black life during a time of racism entailed, and how better to experience the life of racism than to become someone who would know. Black Like Me is a book full of events. Griffin—a white man and a writer—had a seemingly normal life, but then wanted a change completely. Griffin wrote this book after a real life experience he took on to see what life was like for an African American. Griffin gave up his wealthy and free life to become an African American whose life…show more content…
Some individuals believe people should be treated equally. Even in the 50’s there were very few people who thought that, but times are now different where racism is no longer a huge problem. As a reader, the belief of being treated equal still stands no matter the time period. In the book, the way whites treated black’s was bad. To think someone could treat someone else with such cruelty because of the color of his or her skin is absurd. This makes the reader feel sorry for the blacks, and at the same time mad at the whites. Although some may think the book is offensive, others may think the book was a lesson learned about what racism was like in New Orleans and Mississippi. It was a difficult time for blacks. It was filled with hurt, unfairness, and lynching. Nobody—unless they experienced it— would have an exact idea of what racism used to be, until they read Black Like Me. Whether white or black, being aware of racism is important. After reading the book, most can tell racism has changed dramatically over the years going from horrible to diminishing tremendously. The book was interesting to read because it shows that blacks and whites
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