Black Like Me

What is the character description of John Howard Griffin in Black Like Me?

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John Howard Griffin is from Mansfield, Texas. In the fall of 1959, he decides to become a black man so that he can tour through the southern part of the United States and see what it is like to be a black man. Griffin has always been a proponent of equality of the races, but the writer wanted to get the real story. Griffin's detailed journal exposes the reader to every experience he has as a black man. On his travels through Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia, Griffin finds out many things. He now understands that communication between blacks and whites does not exist. He also learns that blacks are being deprived of basic rights as human beings. They do not have the freedom to go where ever they want. While Griffin tries, he has a horrible time being a black man. The change he makes is so sudden and absolute that he is not sure what he has gotten himself into. After his travels through the South, Griffin gains the attention of the media, blacks, whites and hate groups. His experiences and book helped others empathize and consider the situation of blacks in the South.

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