As we uncover in Black Like Me, racism doesn't always come wrapped in the same package. Sometimes it's a smiling face saying that you can't use the white bathroom. Sometimes it's an angry face threatening to kill you. Sometimes it's a face using "science" to prove its point.
Racism shows itself in a myriad of ways in this book. In fact, it's the sheer amount of ways that racism can rear its ugly little head that shocks Griffin the most. There's no end to it, and Griffin realizes how exhausting it is to live under the stormclouds of perpetual racism.
Questions About Race
- How many different forms of racism are presented in Black Like Me?
- How do the black people in this book feel about their own race? Are there black racists? Why or why not?
- What was Griffin's approach to racism before he began his experiment in Black Like Me? What is it afterwards?
- How does racism impact the everyday life of black people in the book? Do you think Griffin would've become the person that he is if he were born a black man? Why or why not?
Chew on This
The black against black racism in Black Like Me is even worse than white against black racism.
Griffin's experiment proves that white people are almost oblivious to the extent of their own racism.