John Howard Griffin s Black Like Me - 1647 Words

Prejudice: The Fatal Flaw in Human Nature Over fifty years ago, a Texan named John Howard Griffin embarked on a revolutionary journey—to darken the color of his skin and experience racism in the Deep South firsthand. While considered extremely controversial at the time, the experiences recorded by Griffin in his book, Black like Me, are still discussed today. The book has continued to inform readers about oppressive prejudice in America, and aided them in realizing that bias, while hidden, is still prevalent today. It has inspired a new generation to work towards equality, while warning them of the dangers of racial supremacy. Readers are exposed to the fact that many deny the existence of racism by convincing themselves that the small†¦show more content†¦An example is a study that was done on NBA referees, which found that white referees unintentionally tended to call more fouls on black players, and vice versa (Blake). Griffin experiences this prejudice when offered rides by white men while hitchhiking. He is stunned that they would ask such probing questions about his private life, and he realizes that they would not ask the same questions of a white man for the fear of being rude, but when talking to a black man, they see them as subhuman (Griffin 86). Many would believe it is not a racist act, as the white men are not physically harming them. However, by treating them this way, they are affecting them psychologically by reminding them of their â€Å"inferiority.† Following the Civil Rights Movement, many began to believe that the amount of racist actions had drastically decreased; however, they have merely become more subtle, but just as widespread. Every so often in modern times, a case or event appears in which unfair treatment occurs. In early 2012, an African-American teenage boy named Trayvon Martin was fatally shot by a white man, George Zimmerman, in Florida. Although Martin was unarmed, carrying only snacks, Zimmerman claimed self-defense in court, and was acquitted (Botelho). Uproars were heard around the world, claiming that the justice system was biased. Many began to compare the fate and the court case of Trayvon Martin to that of Emmett Till (Blake). Emmett Till was a