Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

"Black Like Me" is a book by John Howard Griffin. This memoir reveals the author's life growing up in racial segregation in the Deep South. It's a powerful story about the struggles and triumphs of African-Americans in America. Griffin's book was influential on Barack Obama.

John Howard Griffin's memoir
John Howard Griffin's memoir reveals the life of a black man living in the South during the Civil Rights Movement. During the early part of his life, Griffin was forced to use negro restrooms and water fountains. In addition, he often encountered white people who treated him with contempt and even humiliation. He found himself on the back of buses and in disgusting and revolting situations.

John Howard Griffin was a writer, social critic, and humanitarian. His first book, Scattered Shadows, was published by the Anti-defamation League of B'nai B'rith and the Anti-defamation League of America. He also coauthored Black Again, White Again, and Encounters With the Other. The book was later edited by Griffin, Robert Bonezzi, and published by Latitudes Press.

Scattered Shadows opens in 1945. The first three chapters describe his time in World War II in the Pacific. Griffin's mission had been to intercept a Japanese invasion plan. In addition to this dangerous mission, he was instructed to stay in a tent for two days, where he watched a Japanese bombing raid. At one point, he was even ordered to burn his intelligence data in case his air strip was overrun. The experience was horrific, but Griffin found a way to transcend his plight and gain a new perspective. He discovered that Beethoven's Opus 132 could help him find compassion and tenderness.

His conversion to Catholicism
The story of a Black like me's conversion to Catholicismm is not a unique one. Many Black Catholics have made a great witness to their faith. They have been able to bring the beliefs and spiritual practices of their Black heritage into their Catholic faith. These Black Catholics have helped bring about a more just society and helped others become Catholic.

These stories of African Americans converting to the Catholic faith offer glimpses of holiness, resilience, creativity, and joy in the face of injustice. November is Black Catholic History Month, sponsored by the National Black Catholic Congress and the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. It is an excellent way to learn more about the faith of people of color.

Those who convert to Catholicism want to feel like a part of a larger religion, but don't want to lose their roots. It is a desperate need to find a sense of belonging. Until recently, many Black Catholics didn't know much about their heritage or the history of Black Catholics. Now they can tell their children about their family's faith and how they came to become Catholic. They can also be proud of their heritage as a Black Catholic without giving up who they are.

His book's influence on Barack Obama
Black like me's influence on Barack Obama is not confined to political issues. It also includes the influence of Obama's mother, who was a white anthropologist from Kansas who died from cancer when Barack was a child. This book offers a different take on Obama's relationship with his white parents. It offers a more nuanced look at how his mother shaped the man he is today.

The president-elect's own upbringing is very different from that of many other black people. He has often expressed disappointment that black people are not more successful than whites and has criticised them for making excuses for their own failure. But he did not experience the traumas of his generation, including beatings by racist police officers and spatial restrictions. Instead, he grew up knowing that he was not inferior to white people in most aspects of his life.

The last few years have seen Obama stop chiding blacks and start to concede that black people have a role in society. He has listened to Sharpton's pleas for Justice Department intervention in Ferguson and Baltimore, and he has even embraced Black Lives Matter as a political movement. This is a perfect example of how black people can turn their experiences to their advantage.