Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin is a Multicultural story set in the southaround the late 1950’s in first person point of view about John Griffin in 1959in the deep south of the east coast, who is a novelist that decides to get hisskin temporarily darkened medically to black. What Griffin hopes to achieve isenough information about the relationships between blacks and whites to write abook about it.
The overall main obstacle is society, and the racial divide in thesouth with the whites. John begins his journey in New Orleans where he gets hisfirst taste of what it is like to be black. He meets a shoeshiner named SterlingWilliams who gives Griffin friendship, and the opportunity to be incorporated inthe African American society. While in New Orleans, Griffin discussed raceissues with other African Americans. John was harassed by some whitesupremacists, while with Negroes, was treated with courtesies, even by strangers. When Griffin gets news that a white jury rejected a case of a black lynching,Griffin decides to go to the heart of the deep south, Mississippi to check itout.
Even with the risk of his life, Griffin decides to take a bus to Hattiesburginto the deep south to check out the lynching case. At the bus station, Griffinacquired hate stares from many whites on the benches waiting for their buses. Griffin boarded the bus, and during the trip he conversed with a man namedChristophe, and when the white passengers got off the bus during the rest stop,the bus driver prevented the Negro passengers from departing. The Negroes wereabout to urinate all over the bus, but they decided it would just be anotherthing for the whites to hold against blacks.
They arrived in Hattiesburg andJohn took a cab to a hotel to rest. In the hotel, Griffin tried to write aletter to his family, but there were too many things blocking his mind. Afterwards, Griffin called P. D.
East, a white friend who writes in a blacknewspaper in Mobile and visited his family for a while. Continuing his trip toMontgomery, he covered a long distance with the help from passing white drivers(some wereperverted) who gave him rides during the night time. When Griffin waskicked off the car, he was left a far distance from everything. He reached asmall convince store on the road, in which the owners would not let him in untilhe begged them. As he walked on, a young black male offered him a ride and aplace 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 facesof heartlessness staring at him.
As Griffin was about to leave, he tried to givemoney to the family for his gratitude, but they would no accept it, so he justleft the money there. Griffin then hitchhiked to a small bus station and boughta ticket to Montgomery. When he got to Montgomery, he called his wife andchildren and then changed back to white. Griffin also witnessed a skirmish onthe bus when 2 blacks would not move into 1 seat, so a white women could sitdown. A large white man was about to hurt someone, but the white women told himto stop.
Griffin had enough of this and changed back to white in the stationrestroom. Afterwards, he called the Sepia ( A News Paper ) editors and made anappointment for a story in New Orleans with a photographer. After the story wasdone, he flew to Mansfield as a white man to be in an editorial conference. ThenGriffin flew to Hollywood for a TV show, New York for an interview in Timemagazine and many other places for stories.
Griffin’s mother started to get hatecalls from some of the people in town, and the Griffins got police surveillanceon their house just in case. When Griffin was kicked off the car, he was left a far distance from everything. He reached a small convince store on the road, in which the owners would not lethim in until he begged them. As he walked on, a young black male offered him aride and a place to sleep in his house with his wife and six children. Laterthat 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 no acceptit, so he just left the money there. Griffin then hitchhiked to a small busstation and bought a ticket to Montgomery. When he got to Montgomery, he calledhis wife and children and then changed back to white. Griffin also witnessed askirmish on the bus when 2 blacks would not move into 1 seat, so a white womencould sit down. A large white man was about to hurt someone, but the white womentold him to stop.
Griffin had enough of this and changed back to white in thestation restroom. Afterwards, he called the Sepia ( A News Paper ) editors andmade an appointment for a story in New Orleans with a photographer. After thestory was done, he flew to Mansfield as a white man to be in an editorialconference. Then Griffin flew to Hollywood for a TV show, New York for aninterview in Time magazine and many other places for stories. Griffin’s motherstarted to get hate calls from some of the people in town, and the Griffins gotpolice surveillance on their house just in case.
