Black Like Me Review

1367 Words6 Pages
Carlos Diaz Black Like Me Book Review Have you ever wondered what it’s like to experience hands on the atrocities and discrimination that black folks were subjected to decades ago? Have you ever wondered how and why white supremacists ruined the lives of hundreds of thousands if not millions of blacks? Have you ever wondered how many innocent children became targets and victims of a society revolving discrimination? If so the dairy of John Howard Griffin titled “Black Like Me” does an excellent job at presenting the reader with the issue and allowing the reader to visualize and experience what it’s like to be black or white in an era of hatred and denial. “Black Like Me” is a shocking piece of literature capable of enticing anyone that dares read it. Now then, allow me to quickly summarize, review, and critique perhaps one of the most powerful mind changing books in human existence. Quickly summarizing “Black Like Me”, John Howard Griffin the narrator of the book is a writer and a resident of the State of Texas. He becomes aware that in order for him or other whites to fully understand the societal disadvantages that accompany being born with black skin he must become a Negro. Mr. Griffin takes the most extreme measure and although well aware of the repercussions that might follow, he decides to alter his skin pigmentation under the direction of a dermatologist. Consequently Mr. Griffin becomes a Negro but leaves his lifestyle unmolested. Mr. Griffin travels to southern states, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, where blacks are mostly seen as degrading and immoral human beings. Mr. Griffin himself is denied entry to restrooms, denied a sip of water at water fountains, denied automatic rights and privileges that belong to everyone for the sole reason of being human. Consequently Mr. Griffin doesn’t just see the suffering of Blacks, he feels it
Open Document