Black Like Me

Rating:
Summary: Just Like Me
Review: This compelling novel by John Howard Griffin has truly all the elements of a great writer. Griffin whom has written many compelling books such as: 'Encounters with the other', 'Forgive My Grief' and many others has captured investigating writing. He not only gives writing its purpose but also defines it. Within the novel Black like Me he explores the life of a white man, but as a black man as well. Griffin uses his remarkable investigating skills and truly walks in the shoes of a black man. John H. Griffin walks in the shoes of a black man literally for he transforms himself by dying his skin. This novel is quite the read, for it deals with the struggles and hardships that African Americans faced in the 1950s.The novel gives one a taste of the never-ending discrimination African Americans face during this time. One can not help but be compelled to John H. Griffin and his profound determination upon the subject of racism. This is a well-written novel, which is filled with America's history of hate and degradation. But John H. Griffin uses his writing expertise to bring this to light.

Rating:
Summary: Cry For Compassion
Review: I grew up in the south (Atlanta and Athens, GA) in the 60's and 70's, went to public schools in which we had serious racial tension, and I've only now just read John Howard Griffin's outstanding book of investigative reporting, Black Like Me. I honestly don't understand why this book was not required reading in my junior high school; in fact, it would be a service to America even today to make it required reading for everyone. Living in the suburbs and going to newly integrated schools, black rage was inexplicable, unavoidable, and terrifying to my friends and I, but this book would have helped us by giving us a real context. There will always be minds closed to the truths presented here, but if a more vital call for compassion toward those who seem different to us but are united in humanity exists, I don't know what it might be. And herein lies the true worth of this book--not only that it documents the constant oppression of blacks in the South under segregation, but also that it documents the distances that build up between any oppressor and oppressed. Black Like Me makes completely clear that the oppressed of any class, race, ethnicity, religious orientation, sexual orientation, etc., cannot "rise above the problem" without a lessening of that oppression; and that even the best willed of the oppressors are scarcely able to even recognize the extent of the problem. The mythologizing of the "other" so overwhelms our commonalties that they are almost completely obscured. Although many whites in the deepest South spoke of blacks as "subhuman" (or at best did not speak out against such grotesque characterizations) Griffin documents the fact that many blacks in the segregated South were astonishingly and universally civil toward one another, sharing what little they had with complete strangers. This generosity of spirit was practically unknown to most whites who had no real point of contact with the black community, as black relationships with one another were decidedly different than black-white relationships.

Although the story of Griffin's changing his skin color to live as a black man in the south is totally compelling, ultimately I regretted that it wasn't longer or more detailed. Griffin was an absolutely extraordinary man, yet entirely human himself, and occasionally when situations turned too extreme he felt it necessary to retreat. At one point Griffin decides that he must go to Mississippi and so he gets to Hattiesburg immediately after a Mississippi county court rules against indicting anyone for the kidnapping from jail and lynching of a black man accused of a crime in spite of evidence gathered by the FBI. Once there, Griffin immediately finds the tension intolerable, the constant threat of violence overwhelming, and the degradation absolute. Rather than sticking with the story he calls a white friend and stays with him for a few days, then leaves. I can't fault him personally for this decision, and it certainly speaks to the horrifying environment in which he found himself, but a chance for some important journalism was missed. Similarly, the book feels truncated--after visiting Atlanta (which came off rather well at least in comparison, I'm pleased to say) Griffin winds up the project rather abruptly. He continues to suffer the consequences of his project for some time, facing threats and ostracism from his white neighbors to the point that he and his parents move elsewhere.

Griffin rather casually dropped in some shocking autobiographical statements without any follow-up: "when I was blind"--he was blinded in a bombardment and his impairment lasted for 10 years; and "It reminded me of the nagging, focusless terror we felt in Europe when Hitler began his marches, the terror of talking with Jews (and our deep shame of it)."--he's not writing in the abstract. as he worked in Resistance France helping rescue Jews. Perhaps Griffin's humility causes him to omit some of these details, but I would have liked to have understood Griffin himself a bit more, to have known how he came to the decision to live as a black man. Regardless of its minor faults, Black Like Me, a veritable cry for compassion toward one another, is a true "must-read"--it has my very highest recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: Behind The Book
Review: I just finished Black Like Me. When I picked up this book I thought that the title was a very strange thing. I know Griffin is white so why would the book be called that? Well after I read the book I can totally understand why he did what he did and why the book is called what it is. I think that the book is a way to really show what it was like for blacks in the US so long ago. It is a horrible thing. The book teaches a lesson of horrible brutality on the part of Americans. Why be horrible to people just because of the pigment of their skin? Well that is what happened. When I read the book I thought this discrimination is horrible and I am hope it never happens again. Then I realized we have discrimination today all the time. The biggest example is gay people. When you read this book think of why Griffin did this. He turned his life upside down just to tell people what the blacks had to live through. All I had to do was read the book but he lived the book. If you read it then think about that. It was an eye opener and is very well written. My advice for the book is to read it slowly and you will love it. Believe me, I did.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: I was very pleased with this book. Going into it, I did not believe that I would find it very interesting, but I soon found that I could not put it down. I flew through the book and was very pleased by the way it had captured me. I told my friends about it and they were quick to learn how exciting the book really was. It really opened my eyes and I am very glad that I took the time to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: This book was very compelling read, it really helped me understand what it was like to be black in the 50's. Anyone who has difficulty understanding how the black race was treated needs to read this book because it is wonderful and very accurate in telling of how people were treated in that time. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

Rating:
Summary: A compelling novel
Review: This was a compelling novel that showed the true struggle African Americans in the Deep South went through against racism. It was commendably written. At times, I felt as though I could smell, feel and taste the events that Griffin described. With each new experience every detail was given. Black Like Me is a true story of a man, John Howard Griffin, who used medication and dye to change the pigment of his skin from Caucasian to African American. He went to the southern United States to find out if African Americans were actually treated differently. He then wrote an article revealing how differently he was treated when his skin was dark. This novel depicts what it was like for a black person living in the south in the 1950's. It shows the hatred, and disgust that was directed towards them for no other reason than the colour of their skin. It discusses the obstacles that they had to overcome as a race and the problems that they had within their race. Black Like Me tears at your heart. It shows how far we've come since then but also how much farther we need to go. The book ends with a fairly long epilogue explaining what has gone on since he wrote his article. It talks of great men such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and what they did for the black movement. A book like this is a must read if we will ever as a human race fully judge people by who they truly are and not by the colour of their skin.

Rating:
Summary: SOUTH AFRICA'S ABSOLUTE MUST!!!
Review: I got my hands on the book when I was in high school 11 years ago. Because of its relevance to South Africa's race issues, it was stolen from me. I invested in another copy because I could not get the message contained in it off my mind. If you are a South African, this is an ABSOLUTE must!!!

Rating:
Summary: White man once looked into the ghetto from the outside...
Review: The astounding story of a white man who chose to walk in the world of a black man, Black Like Me explains what it was truly like to be a black man during the Civil Rights movement of the 50's and 60's. I found the plot to be interesting, but if your mind wanders while you read, don't read this book. The plot of Black Like Me takes very careful thought and comprehension, but to the reader who can shut out all other thoughts and sounds, this book will be excellent!!

Rating:
Summary: A must read!
Review: I just read an incredible book. It is called, Black Like Me. The author, John Howard Griffin tells about his accounts of taking skin pigments to change his Caucasian body to African-American. This is one of the few books out there in today's literature that gives a true account of what life is for an African-American male living in the south in the late 50's early 60's. Griffin, a journalistic man, went out on this experiment to get a story but instead of getting a story he got a life long lesson. This is a story where it is more then putting yourself in their shoes. You are they, you live their life and you understand what they always talk about. The details in this book, come out and grab you. While reading this book you will not want to put it down because you as the reader are always waiting to see what happens next. This may shock you because it cannot be found in any history or biographic book. It is a story you can understand because it comes from a person who entered a life they never experienced before. It makes you believe that you were there and maybe now you have a little more understanding of what African-Americans deal with then and now. This is a must read book because you will not find this anywhere else and it is a fact that we need to learn. We cannot hide from this any longer, we need to come to reality and face it.

Rating:
Summary: Anyone With A Heart??
Review: In the novel, Black Like Me, the author, John Howard Griffin, temperaroly changes his white skin color the the hated color, black, to research in the Deep South what it is really like to be hated for the color of your skin. The theme of this non-fiction novel is hate. Griffin recieves the "hate stare" from many whites in the bus stations and other businesses that he tries to enter. "Then came again, the Hate Stare." (129) Griffin goes into businesses as a Black person and is refused service and bathroom facilites, but he returns to these businesses as a White person and is treated with dignity and respect. This is exact proof that people hate other people just because of their skin. It is also ironic when Griffin finally returns home after going public with his project. Whites in his hometown that once repected Griffin, wouldn't even talk to him and white supremisists hung a dummie of Griffin painted half black and half white to ridicule him. It is ironic because he is White, but they still hate him just because he was trying to help the Blacks. Americans are overflowing with hate and disgust for all the wrong reasons. Hate is a disease that infects the ignorant minds of young Americans and grows inside and is spread to their young. It is almost uncurable and in some cases is fatal. I recommend this novel for any person, Black or White, that has a heart and cares enough about America' citizens to try to unite the different races to make our country a better place to live.