Black Like Me by John Griffin

All men are created equal... or are they? John Griffin's "Black Like Me" shows how
racism is nothing more then the foolish misunderstanding of man. White's current superiority
hangs in the balance as Blacks become tired of being the minority, in the late 1950's. Even though
this struggle isn't as dreadful as it was then, it still exists. The certainty of racism can't be ignored
but it will soon disappear as generations mix. Racial discrepancies challenge the unity of human
civilization.

John Griffin had a biting curiosity which he could no longer stand. What was life truly
like, for a black man in the deep south? He sought the real answer to this by darkening his skin
with extreme amounts of medication. A new skin color determines everything and John is now
thrown into a new world that he was in no way prepared for. He was no longer John, an average
but respected white novelist, he was a black man and that is all that mattered. Simple pleasers like
a drink of water or the use of a restroom become near impossible. John, at first was puzzled by
this, but soon realized that it was not his personality, his age, but his blackness that made him a
disgrace in the eyes of an average white person. If he were white, a white store owner would
have not hesitated in the slightest to allow such privileges. How could these people be so blind as
to not see that a black person breathes the same air, eats the same food, and has the same internal
functions as themselves? This misunderstanding stares them in the face and they can't see it.
Their selfishness and fear is completely unnecessary but it remains because the whites have never
been exposed to any other way of life. This is why the whites can not allow such common
privileges to Mr. Griffin or any other black person. To treat a black as an equal was absolutely
unheard of.

Fatigued from rejection and many actions which would be declared unconstitutional, the
blacks must do something so their future generations do not suffer the same. This desire for
action only stirs a greater terror within the (racist) white community. People like, Martin Luther
King Jr. begin to surface. He and many others aspire to show the blacks that they are equal human
beings. Its strange to think that most blacks thought a white was better just because that is what
they were brought up to believe. This new realization completely jeopardizes the supremacy of
the white community. The book gives many examples of this fear/hatred such as, "The hate
stare", the tone of peoples voices, and the over all rejection. Who could have thought that a black
person could have the same job opportunities and the same living standards? For those racist
whites who have a pathetic pride in there incomparable skin color and fear of change is why
groups like the Ku Klux Klan exist. It is comforting to know that this despicable attitude is no
longer holding the majority.

Yes, certain racial beliefs were awful in the 50's and 60's but its not over yet, some still
exist today. People who still feel they are fighting the Civil War, also believe in the segregation of
the black community. Hate groups such as the KKK and Neo Nazis are around but don't expose
themselves publicly as they had in the past for obvious reasons. Today racism isn't about little
things that white people take for granted, such as drinking water or a nice place to stay for the
night, its more about fair trial and equal job or education opportunities. The hard fact of our
diverse country hinders most racial discrepancies. Most people anymore can no longer be called
just black or just white but a mix of the two. If a person were to make a racist comment whether
white or black, they will most likely be bashing their own ethnic origin. This will be even grater
as generations continue. Racism won't disappear all together but can be diminished by the
brotherhood of man.

John Griffin took a chance and discovered something outrageous which he never
expected. The real life for those in the deep south was concealed under a complete
misunderstanding of each others feelings. Due to the unfair treatment to the blacks things begin
to change. Now with changing generations and a greater diversity among people, things have
changed and will continue to do so. The misconception of one race being any better then another
perhaps, is the only thing that separates us from world peace.