How we cite our quotes: (Entry. Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Do you suppose they'll treat me as John Howard Griffin, regardless of my color—or will they treat me as some nameless Negro, even though I am still the same man?" I asked. "You're not serious," one of them said. "They're not going to ask you any questions. As soon as they see you, you'll be a Negro and that's all they'll ever want to know about you." (3.2)
Someone had to say it. This scene alone is one of the most informative scenes about who Griffin was before he began the experiment. Basically it seems like he thought that black people were treated badly because they did something to be treated that way, and that racism wasn't as bad as they said it was. He's in for a rude awakening.
Quote #2
I wanted to discover what sort of work an educated Negro, nicely dressed, could find. I met no rebuffs, only gentleness when they informed me they could not use my services as typist, bookkeeper, etc. (9.1)
Remember kids, racism and prejudice isn't only violent lynching and angry people. It's also smiling people who politely refuse to hire you, even though you're qualified for the job.
Quote #3
"You take a young white boy. He can go through school and college with a real incentive. He knows he can make good money in any profession when he gets out. But can a Negro—in the South? No, I've seen many make brilliant grades in college. And yet when they come home in the summers to earn a little money, they can't get jobs according to their education or capabilities. No, they have to do the most menial work. And even when they graduate it's a long hard pull. Most take postal jobs, or preaching or teaching jobs. This is the cream. What about the others, Mr. Griffin?" (9.20)
The explanation that many racists gave for the poverty of black people was that they were unskilled and uneducated. But, as this black man that Griffin talks to explains, even the most skilled and educated black people are not able to find jobs that match their level of education.