Negro essay
Negro essayBlack Negro Essay
In John Howard Griffin's novel Black Like Me, Griffin travels through
many Southern American states, including Mississippi. While in
Mississippi Griffin experiences racial tension to a degree that he did
not expect. It is in Mississippi that he encounters racial
stereotypical views directed towards him, which causes him to realize
the extent of the racial prejudices that exist. Mississippi is where he
is finally able to understand the fellowship shared by many of the
Negroes of the 50's, because of their shared experiences. Although
Griffin travels throughout the Southern States, the state of
Mississippi serves as a catalyst for the realization of what it is
truly like to be a Negro in 1959. Once in the state of Mississippi,
Griffin witnesses extreme racial tension, that he does not fully
expect. It is on the bus ride into Mississippi that Griffin first
experiences true racial cruelty from a resident of Mississippi.
It was late dusk when the bus pulled into some little
town
outside of Hatteisburg for a stop. "We get about ten minutes here,"
Bill said "let's get off here and stretch our legs" The driver stood up
and announced "Ten minute rest stop,". The whites rose and ambled off.
Bill and I led the Negroes toward the door. As soon as he saw us, the
driver blocked our way. Bill slipped under his arm and walked away.
"Hey boy where are you going?" the driver shouted at Bill while he
stretched his arms across the opening to prevent myself from stepping
down. I stood waiting. "Where do you think your going?" he asked, his
heavy cheeks quivering with each word. "I'd like to go to the rest
room." I smiled and moved to step down. He tightened his grip on the
door. "Does your ticket say for you to get off here?" he asked. "No
sir, but the others..." "Then you just sit your ass down." We turned
like a small herd of cattle and drifted back to our seats. The large
woman was apologetic, as though it embarrassed her for a stranger to
see Mississippi's dirty linen.1(pg 63) Up to this point in the novel
Griffin experiences exactly what he expects to experience. He is
taunted with typical racial slurs, and other forms of hostility, which
he is able to brush off as meaningless ignorance. This bus driver is
denying the black customers the most basic of human needs. The bus
driver attempts to not only humiliate them by forcing them to defecate
and urinate in public on the bus, but the bus driver is also attempting
to show all of the white customers what savages that the blacks are.
Griffin never expects to receive anger and hate to this degree.
Everywhere that he goes in Mississippi is...
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