Claire Conger

I recently finished listening to a reading of Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin. I found it alternately terrifying and fascinating and occasionally text-bookish.

Black Like Me is an account of Mr. Griffin’s journey to the American South in 1959 disguised as a black man. (He used a “medicine” that caused the pigment in his skin to turn darker than normal when exposed to the sun.)

First Mr. Griffin found that people who knew him well, people who saw him frequently as a white man, did not recognize him as a black.

One of the first things humans learn to do is categorize, which makes perfect sense. To survive over the eons, humans have had to learn straight away what is healthful and what is harmful and categorize them as such. This tendency to categorize automatically at its implications on racism is discussed at some length in lectures on Social Psychology (Psychology 160 at UC Berkeley) by Professors Dacher Keltner (spring 07) and Serena Chen (fall 06).

A theme that Mr. Griffin returns to again and again is his reception by people who don’t know him. Where as a white he received smiles and can-I-help-you’s, as a black he received dirty looks and was refused service.

Just walking down the street, as a white he would get smiles and nods from other whites and as a black he would get help and recognition from other blacks. But crossing races, there would be dirty looks and threats from whites, and as a white, blank stares and avoidance from blacks.

I decided to try my own mini-experiment and smile appreciatively at every black person I see. (I’m white.) My results so far are overwhelmingly that I get back a smile as warm and friendly as my own.

It must be noted that I frequent the land of the middle class.

Actually said Hi: Woman on sidewalk. (I had deferred sidewalk right-of-way.)
Quickest to smile: Handsome man at Trader Joe’s specialty grocery.
Took the longest to respond: Young male of about 20 at ski resort. (He’s been well trained. Kudos to his mother!)
Longest reciprocal smile: Man on airplane waiting to disembark.
Briefest reciprocal smile: Man entering library.
Sole non-responder: Man at Longs Drugs buying cigarettes. (Yes, I smiled even at someone buying cigarettes.)

A bit of politeness goes a long way!