Family: those people that you kind of have to be around, even though you didn't choose them. Based on the number of times families come up in Black Like Me, we'd guess that Griffin's favorite hobby is reenacting scenes of Leave It To Beaver with his wife and kids. In other words, he's a family man.
Over and over again, Griffin tells us that black people have families too. And they love them, and want their kids to do well. That seems obvious, but what Griffin is really trying to tell us is that black people are human too. You know, because to have and love a family is to be human: at least in this book. It sucks that he lives in a world where some people doubt that fact.
Questions About Family
- Who has good family relations in this book? Who has bad ones? How does Griffin depict them?
- Why do many of the white people in Black Like Me seem to think that black families are entirely different from their own? How does this make them view black people?
- How do you think the characters in the book would react to a positive depiction of black families, like The Cosby Show?
- How do you think white readers reacted to the depictions of black families in the book? How did you react? How might your reactions be the same or different?
Chew on This
In Black Like Me, black families are just as loving as white families.
In the book, familial love can overcome racism.