John Howard Griffin
John Howard Griffin
#### Full Name and Common Aliases
John Howard Griffin was an American author and journalist who is best known for his powerful writing on issues of racism and social justice.
#### Birth and Death Dates
Born on October 6, 1923, in Houston, Texas, Griffin passed away on September 9, 1980.
#### Nationality and Profession(s)
Griffin held both American and French citizenship and worked as a journalist and author. He was also a Catholic priest for several years before leaving the clergy to pursue a career in writing.
#### Early Life and Background
Growing up in a deeply conservative household, Griffin's early life was marked by strict adherence to traditional values and social norms. However, his experiences with racism and injustice began to shape his worldview at an early age. After dropping out of college, Griffin served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.
#### Major Accomplishments
Griffin's most significant accomplishment came when he published _Black Like Me_ in 1961. This book tells the story of Griffin's decision to undergo medical treatment to temporarily darken his skin, allowing him to experience firsthand the brutal realities of racism faced by African Americans in the Deep South during the early 1950s.
#### Notable Works or Actions
In addition to _Black Like Me_, Griffin published several other notable works on social justice and human rights. His writing often explored themes of identity, morality, and personal responsibility.
#### Impact and Legacy
Griffin's work had a profound impact on American society during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. _Black Like Me_ became an instant bestseller and helped raise awareness about the need for greater racial equality in the United States. The book also led to significant changes within Griffin himself, as he began to more openly challenge social norms and conventions.
#### Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Griffin's writing continues to be widely read and quoted today because of its powerful insight into the complexities of human nature and society. His willingness to confront his own biases and limitations has made him a respected voice in discussions around racism, privilege, and social justice.
Griffin's legacy extends beyond his written work as well. He inspired countless others to engage with issues of racial inequality and to use their voices for positive change. Through his example, Griffin demonstrated the importance of empathy, self-reflection, and moral courage in creating a more just society.
As an author and journalist who fearlessly tackled some of the most pressing social issues of his time, John Howard Griffin remains an important figure in American literature and history. His work continues to inspire new generations of writers, activists, and individuals committed to promoting greater understanding and equality among all people.
Quotes by John Howard Griffin
John Howard Griffin's insights on:
In Black Like Me, I tried to establish one simple fact, which was to reveal the insanity of a situation where a man is judged by his skin color, by his philosophical “accident” – rather than by who he is in his humanity.
The core concept in Griffin’s writings about racism – that members of dominant groups tend to view minorities, because they seem different in some extrinsic way, as intrinsically other, and “as merely underdeveloped versions of their own imprisoning culture” – was intuited in Black Like Me and articulated in a seminal essay, “The Intrinsic Other.
We need a conversion of morals,” the elderly man said. “Not just superficially, but profoundly. And in both races. We need a great saint-some enlightened common sense. Otherwise, we’ll never have the right answers...
He told me how all of the white men in the region craved colored girls. He said he hired a lot of them both for housework and in his business. “And I guarantee you, I’ve had it in every one of them before they ever got on the payroll.” A pause. Silence above humming tires on the hot-top road. “What do you think of that?” “Surely some refuse,” I suggested cautiously. “Not if they want to eat – or feed their kids,” he snorted. “If they don’t put out, they don’t get the job.
They put us low, and then blame us for being down there and say that since we are low, we can’t deserve our rights.” Others.
The vast difference between what this country was saying and apparently believing, and what the black man was experiencing, was embittering.
All human beings face the same fundamental problems of loving and of suffering, of striving toward human aspirations for themselves and their children, of simply being and inevitably dying. These are the basic truths in all people, the common denominators of all cultures and all races and all ethnic categories. In.
We, who were reduced to eating on the sidewalk, were suddenly elevated in status by this man’s misery. We were the aristocrats and he the beggar. It flattered us. We were superbly above him and the comedy gave us a delusion of high self-respect. In a while, the magnanimity of the rich would complete the picture. We would feed our scraps to the poor.
My revulsion turned to grief that my own people could give the hate stare, could shrivel men’s souls, could deprive humans of rights they unhesitatingly accord their livestock. I.