‘Black Like Me’ similar

Wed., June 24, 2015

The worldwide-but-Spokane-centered story about Rachel Dolezal reminds me of the true-to-life story of “Black Like Me,” authored by a white man named John Howard Griffin.

In California in the 1960s, there was widespread debate centered on racism, particularly early white-black racism. Griffin was a graduate student focusing his research on the racism problem. He was of the opinion that to deeply understand the problem, one had to study it from the perspective of a black living and working in both worlds.

Griffin dyed his skin a blackish-brown color. He entered deeply, for three or four years, into black American society. Read it. It’s a page-turner and may give broader perspective to our Rachel Dolezal story.

James Flynn

Spokane

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