Arrogant Attitude of Griffin's Black Like Me

765 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: History of racism in America

In The South John Howard Griffin’s chronicled experiences as a black man in his book, “Black Like Me” is an arrogant if well meaning book. It is arrogant because a 28 day experiment does not compare to the years (especially when learning right from wrong) of prolonged discrimination and racism suffered by African-Americans in the southern United States during the 1950’s. Consider being treated not as a 2nd class citizen, but as a 10th class citizen. Consider being in front of a washroom, but to be told it is for whites only and that you must go to the other side of town to use a “coloured” washroom. Consider not being allowed to do something just because a white man told you not to. Consider doing menial labor your entire life, even though you have a university education. Consider being an African-American. Those are just some of the hardships that African-Americans in (Specifically but not limited to) the Southern United States. Griffin had the opportunity to go to university and the theatre and all the finer things in life. He had a big house and a cushy job in the sub...

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of John Griffin's Black Like Me And Dick Gregory And Nigger

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    The use and repetition of the word “nigger” suggest both physical and psychological boundaries for Griffin, which, of course, also extend to the black population of the mid-twentieth century. In identifying himself with the term, Griffin becomes overwhelmed by its dehumanizing and de-individualizing effect: “I knew I was in hell. Hell could be no more lonely or hopeless, no more agonizingly estranged from the world of order and harmony” (66). Griffin’s internalization of discrimination and his repression as “Other” allows Griffin to convey the “wrong-doing” by the white middle class, forcing a truthful realization of the detrimental effect of racism on the

    Read More

  • Analysis Of White Privilege Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    Growing up as an African-American you are always taught to be twice as good. Twice as good as the white people to receive the same treatment as them. I grew up hearing this same phrase constantly but never really understood exactly what it meant until I got old enough to actually see the kind of world we are living in. The author of the article, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” Peggy Mclntosh, took as step into shoes of black America and found that white privilege not only exist, but many whites are blind to it. She gives a clear argument about how white privilege is harmful to our society and how we can work together to fix this.

    Read More

  • John H. Griffin's Black Like Me

    966 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Griffin was kicked off the car, he was left a distance from everything. He reached a small convenience store on the road, where the owners would not let him in until he begged them. As he walked on, a young black male offered him a ride and a place to sleep in his house with his wife and six children. Later that evening, Griffin had a reoccurring nightmare about white men and women, with their faces of heartlessness staring at him. As Griffin was about to leave, he tried to give money to the family for his gratitude, but they would not accept it, so he just left the money there.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Audre Lorde And Brent Staples

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    America have a long history of black’s relationship with their fellow white citizens, there’s two authors that dedicated their whole life, fighting for equality for blacks in America. – Audre Lorde and Brent Staples. They both devoted their professional careers outlying their opinions, on how to reduce the hatred towards blacks and other colored. From their contributions they left a huge impression on many academic studies and Americans about the lack of awareness, on race issues that are towards African-American. There’s been countless, of critical evidence that these two prolific writers will always be synonymous to writing great academic papers, after reading and learning about their life experience, from their memoirs.

    Read More

  • Were Black Americans Made Free and Equal by the Abolition of Slavery, 1865-1915?

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    While the formal abolition of slavery, on the 6th of December 1865 freed black Americans from their slave labour, they were still unequal to and discriminated by white Americans for the next century. This ‘freedom’, meant that black Americans ‘felt like a bird out of a cage’ , but this freedom from slavery did not equate to their complete liberty, rather they were kept in destitute through their economic, social, and political state.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Negrogroland: A Memoir By Margo Jefferson

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    Based on the title of the book alone, it is easy to say that racism is one of the many social issues this book will address. Unlike the normal racism of Caucasians versus African Americans, this book focuses on racism of the black elite versus African Americans, also known as colorism. Colorism is the discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically by others of the same racial group. Margo Jefferson says, “Negroland is my name for a small region of Negro America where residents were sheltered by a certain amount of privilege and plenty” (p. 1).

    Read More

  • Brent Staples' Describes Discrimination of Black Men Through his Writing

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fueled by fear and ignorance, racism has corrupted the hearts of mankind throughout history. In the mid-1970’s, Brent Staples discovered such prejudice toward black men for merely being present in public. Staples wrote an essay describing how he could not even walk down the street normally, people, especially women, would stray away from him out of terror. Staples demonstrates his understanding of this fearful discrimination through his narrative structure, selection of detail, and manipulation of language.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Racism In Black Like Me

    1741 Words  | 4 Pages

    One examples is, even before his surgery was complete and he had not made the full transition from white to black yet, he was startled at what he heard from his doctor. At the time of his surgery, he spoke with the dermatologist who was changing his skin color, and found out that even this man had prejudices over black people. The doctor was insistent that the “lighter-skinned Negroes” were more ethical and more sensible than the darker-skinned ones. This man, with a high intellectual IQ and much schooling, also claimed that, as a whole group and race, blacks are always violent. Griffin, horrified that he let this man be in charge of his operation, was utterly and completely appalled that a liberal man could indulge in such hateful fallacies. Not only before and during his surgery does Griffin find himself being appalled by white people, but also during his time as a black man in the south he experienced many harsh and unfriendly situations, he never would have experienced if he was a white man. For example, on his first day as a black man he goes into a drugstore forgetting his skin color and that he now, since he is black, he forbidden from ordering a fountain drink, but after a few mean and disgusted looks from the white workers he realizes, he wasn’t even allowed in the store. His first day hit him hard when he figured out that everywhere he went whites seemed to look at him with suspicion and hostility. Also, after having the word nigger seem to never escape his ears its implications almost became unbearable. Hearing this really made me think about all of the black people in the south that have had to put up this and even worse things every day of their lives and how strong they all were; a white man has been through this one day and can barely take it; how have these people put up with this for so

    Read More

  • Skin Color in Black Like Me

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mr. Griffin was a middle age white man who lived with his wife and children.  He was not oriented to his family.  He decided to pass his own society to the black society.  Although this decision might help most of the African Americans, he had to sacrifice his gathering time with his family.  “She offered, as her part of the project, her willingness to lead, with our three children, the unsatisfactory family life of a household deprived of husband and father” (Griffin 9). Leaving Mrs. Griffin and his children would deprive them of the care they needed.  Even though he was not oriented to his family, he was full of courage.  He was willing to discuss topics that people hesitated to talk about, trying new ideas that people were afraid to do.  After turning back to his own skin color, he attended most media conferences and also wrote books about what he had gone through.  During those interviews, Griffin was very considerate.  He requested Wallace, a reporter, to report carefully so that he would not hurt his African American friends.  “Please… Don’t mention those names on the air.

    Read More

  • John Howard Griffin Wonders What I Would Be Like If He Was A Black Man

    2099 Words  | 5 Pages

    November 21: Griffin unsuccessfully searches for a job in Mobile. A white guy told John that the don’t want African-Americans in their state. He perceived that black people were treated like “beast of burden” in Alabama.

    Read More

  • Missing Persons: The Media Bias to Report Only Pretty Blonde Girls

    2804 Words  | 6 Pages

    Rudolph, Alexander Jr. Racism, African Americans and Social Justice. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005. 71. Print.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On White Privilege

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    What can we do. First open our eyes to the privileges that we have. Reading the article "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," by Peggy MacIntosh, was eye opening. Making oneself aware of the privileges you have makes you appreciate the struggle of those around you. I have to say that I am more guilty of ignorance that I would have like to admit. I really identified with the following statements in the article.

    Read More

  • Black Like Me Analysis

    456 Words  | 1 Pages

    It’s different when you can’t change your skin color and go back to a better life, the negros didn’t have that option because there was nothing they could do, they had no control over it and what people would assume about them. They had no constant reminder that their lives were only “temporary”. Their lives they had to live, they had to live them forever and I don’t think any white person who was respected could fully understand that because most negros had to live their lives in disrespect from other whites. Negros were always being judged, Griffin was only a judged for 6 weeks, not his whole life. It may have been tough and different for him but he’s not a real negro, therefore I don’t think any white person can fully empathize with the black

    Read More

  • Thesis For Black Like Me

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    Griffin struggled with everyday life as a colored man. While in Mobile, Alabama, he sought a job. He could not find one anywhere. “’No, you couldn’t get anything like that here.’…’I’ll tell you… we don’t want you people. Don’t you understand that?’” (Griffin 100). If you know someone who cannot get a job anywhere for a reason they cannot change, wouldn’t you be able to understand how they felt? Griffin also experienced the lack of public anything for the black race. “’You better drink some water before you go,’ [Sterling] said. ‘You might not find any before you get to

    Read More

  • Summary Of Brent Staples's 'Black Men And Public Space'

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this narrative essay, Brent Staples provides a personal account of his experiences as a black man in modern society. “Black Men and Public Space” acts as a journey for the readers to follow as Staples discovers the many societal biases against him, simply because of his skin color. The essay begins when Staples was twenty-two years old, walking the streets of Chicago late in the evening, and a woman responds to his presence with fear. Being a larger black man, he learned that he would be stereotyped by others around him as a “mugger, rapist, or worse” (135).

    Read More

More about Arrogant Attitude of Griffin's Black Like Me

Open Document