A Time to be Human

by John Howard Griffin

In November 1959 , John Howard Griffin underwent a series of medical treatments to temporarily darken the color of his skin; then for six weeks he traveled through the south as a blck man. His diary of that experiment became the best selling book, Black Like Me.
Much has happened since 1959, and many people would argue that racism is a think of the past in this country. John Howard Griffin thinks differently. He believes that we still have the old repressive system in a new wrapping and in "A Time to Be Human" he describes his own encounters with prejudice, first as a white child growing up in Texas; then, as a black man in the South in 1959; and since then, as a white man once again in the ghettos of most of our major cities and in many other countries around the world.
(From the Book jacket)

102 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

John Howard Griffin was a white American journalist who is best known for his account, Black Like Me, in which he details the experience of darkening his skin and traveling as a black man through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia in 1959. (The racism that he encountered was so disturbing that he cut short the time that he had allotted for this very unique experiment, clearly demonstrating that no one would tolerate being treated as many blacks are, if he or she could possibly avoid it.)

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite honestly one of the best I've ever seen before. John Howard Griffin's point-blank honesty and bluntness about the racism that had occurred towards his travels as he had underwent treatment to alter his pigmentation to appear as a black man, and towards those he had befriended that had the same colored skin, were very real and brutally honest. That was something I particularly enjoyed, as he didn't sugarcoat the hatred that was contaminating the world. This was one of the best novels I have ever had the pleasure to read, and I will be reading again.

[Kelly Karius · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is amazing to think about the ways in which prejudice and racism have continued. "Black Like Me" was astounding. This book, along with others, such as "An Early Death,", and the true crime novel "An Act of Kindness" make us understand that there is still so much work to do.