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Black Like Me

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Black Like Me
The author, Ernest Sharpe Jr. in his article “The Man Who Changed His Skin” sheds light on the life of a white American John Howard Griffin. In the article, the author first briefs about Griffin’s journey that began in Louisiana as a nomadic black. He chemically changed his skin color to experience the misery and injustice done by white Americans to African Americans. He compiled his experience into a book, Black like me, which opened many eyes and brought change in people’s mentality. According to the author, Griffin’s book changed many lives and remained the most prominent event of his life. After his death, he left behind the sloughed skin of several careers and identities. He was born to a middle-class Dallas family, in teenage, he came …show more content…
He further explains the fortune of Griffin of not getting caught. He also explains the reviews of Griffin’s novel, but not everyone was pleased. Griffin started getting threat calls due to which his father came to keep a watch with a gun. For several months he hid out in different places, in August he moved to Mexico. In 1961, Black Like Me was published and became the bestseller. Griffin’s life struggle didn’t end there, after nine months due to some riots he was forced to take refugee monastery, he and his family returned. Lastly, the author talkes about his other novels and the similarties he shared with Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk. After Merton’s death, Griffin was asked to write monk’s official biography by the Merton Legacy Trust. However, his health kept detoriating and missed two due date which led the Trust to hand over the responsibility to Micheal Mott. Even his publishers demanded their advance back leaving him bankrupted. Last few years of his life he was toutured by pain and despair. Griffin, his wife and his youngest daughter was forced to live on overextended credits, even his wife jobs didn’t help much. He tried many means to earn money and support his family but he failed. Finally on September 9, 1980, he
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