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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
A must read for everyone who even so much as THINKS they have experienced first hand racism who is NOT a minor. This will make you reconsider how it really feels. How the other side sees it.
Five stars for the historical significance of his journalistic narrative. Powerful nuggets from start to finish.
At the end, he discusses, importantly, the fact that black men have been telling stories like his for years, and the fact that his story is taken so seriously is extremely racist in of itself. Why would it take this white dude's story to resonate? I think part of it is the crystal clarity of the skin-color-racism. He's not different, he didn't change his name, he did his best to act the same. All he did was see a dermatologist to darken his skin. And I think that powerfully cuts through some of mental tropes that can make excuses for racist actions.
At the end, he discusses, importantly, the fact that black men have been telling stories like his for years, and the fact that his story is taken so seriously is extremely racist in of itself. Why would it take this white dude's story to resonate? I think part of it is the crystal clarity of the skin-color-racism. He's not different, he didn't change his name, he did his best to act the same. All he did was see a dermatologist to darken his skin. And I think that powerfully cuts through some of mental tropes that can make excuses for racist actions.
An exceptional book that everyone should read.
Read and look for yourself. I found my own unconscious prejudices everywhere. Not just towards people of color but towards anyone that might be considered an "other."
Read and look for yourself. I found my own unconscious prejudices everywhere. Not just towards people of color but towards anyone that might be considered an "other."
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
An extraordinary book, I am very surprised I had not read, or even heard of it before. It is the account of John Howard Griffin, who in 1959, took pills and used dye to darken his skin so he could experience life as a black man in the deep south. Much of his experience is as horrific and demoralising as I would have expected, though the pointless stupidity of the hatred and cruelty is still jarring. The most surprising thing, for me, was how quickly he came to feel hopeless and so very far away from his regular life. What happened when what he did became known was fascinatingly horrible as well. I think a lot has changed since this was written, at least on the surface, or from an outsider's perspective, and some things took a bit of getting used to, but I highly recommend this engrossing book. Thanks to Kristy for lending it to me!
An excellent book, a necessary read for every white American. Racism is alive and thriving 20+ years after this journey was taken and the book written. A courageous man, indeed.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
Okay. So. I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would.
There are obvious problems, the most prevalent one being: why on God's green earth did this guy go the extra mile, the extra kinda fucked up mile, just to explain the significance of racial prejudice? Why didn't he utilize the privilege he was given as a white man and speak up for the issue he already knew existed? Not to mention the fact that this random white guy doing "blackface for a good cause" is suddenly a hero to everyone who reads his story. Let's idolize him and his bravery for delving into the race issue and pushing boundaries! Let's completely disregard the fact that his life as a black man was eight weeks instead of acknowledging that for people /born/ black, that was their whole lives! AMAZING!!!! I mean, hell, they couldn't rush to the bathroom and scrub the brown off their skin when they just couldn't handle the hate stares. He could. He's not a hero. If you want to read a real gut-wrenching, smack-in-the-face reality, nausea inducing book about what black people went and still go through, here's a tip: read a book by someone who is actually black.
Other than that, it wasn't awful. The writing was good. He acknowledged constantly the set differences in his experiences of the life of a privileged white man and the life of an oppressed black man, and reading it gave the same sickness I always feel reading a book by a black author speaking of the racism and disgusting hatred they have to endure. And, in hindsight, his experiences as a black man weren't completely illegitimate---although, they were more like simulations rather than truly living that life of oppression.
But I can play Devil's advocate with myself about this book all day. In short, a lot of mixed feelings, but it's an interesting read. Go for it, I guess.
There are obvious problems, the most prevalent one being: why on God's green earth did this guy go the extra mile, the extra kinda fucked up mile, just to explain the significance of racial prejudice? Why didn't he utilize the privilege he was given as a white man and speak up for the issue he already knew existed? Not to mention the fact that this random white guy doing "blackface for a good cause" is suddenly a hero to everyone who reads his story. Let's idolize him and his bravery for delving into the race issue and pushing boundaries! Let's completely disregard the fact that his life as a black man was eight weeks instead of acknowledging that for people /born/ black, that was their whole lives! AMAZING!!!! I mean, hell, they couldn't rush to the bathroom and scrub the brown off their skin when they just couldn't handle the hate stares. He could. He's not a hero. If you want to read a real gut-wrenching, smack-in-the-face reality, nausea inducing book about what black people went and still go through, here's a tip: read a book by someone who is actually black.
Other than that, it wasn't awful. The writing was good. He acknowledged constantly the set differences in his experiences of the life of a privileged white man and the life of an oppressed black man, and reading it gave the same sickness I always feel reading a book by a black author speaking of the racism and disgusting hatred they have to endure. And, in hindsight, his experiences as a black man weren't completely illegitimate---although, they were more like simulations rather than truly living that life of oppression.
But I can play Devil's advocate with myself about this book all day. In short, a lot of mixed feelings, but it's an interesting read. Go for it, I guess.