Black Like Me

Black Like Me is a non-fiction memoir by Journalist John Howard Griffin. Black Like Me, first published in 1961, recounts his travels through the Deep South of the United States during a time when African-Americans faced racial segregation. Griffin sees a dermatologist in 1959, the year the tale begins, to get his skin dyed a dark pigment.

Griffin abided by the rule that he would not change his name or alter his identity; if asked who he was or what he was doing, he would tell the truth. In the beginning, he decided to talk as little as possible to ease his transition into the social milieu of southern U.S. blacks. He became accustomed everywhere to the "hate stare" received from whites.

He is confronted with surprisingly wrathful racism and prejudice as he departs from his secure position in society, complicated as that from fellow dark-skinned individuals as simple as "the hatred glare" from a white woman in the bus station; he also confronts his own previously unconscious bigotry. Griffin is viewed as a second-class citizen in every state he visits in the Deep South, despite his credentials and demeanor. With his dual perspective, he recognizes the chasm between the two racial factions, as well as the futility of reconciliation and the mutual respect in today's society.