Prison of Culture: Beyond Black Like Me

by John Howard Griffin

The companion volume to the 50th-anniversary edition of Black Like Me , this book features John Howard Griffin’s later writings on racism and spirituality. Conveying a progressive evolution in thinking, it further explores Griffin’s ethical stand in the human rights struggle and nonviolent pursuit of equality—a view he shared with greats such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Thomas Merton. Enlightening and forthright, this record also focuses on Griffin’s spiritual grounding in the Catholic monastic tradition, discussing the illuminating meditations on suffering and the author’s own reflections on communication, justice, and dying.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

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

[Noah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish. Is it bad? No. Is it outdated and just a rehash of contemporary race conversations? Yes. It’s totally fine. But it has no unique perspective on any of these topics, despite the experience that the author had. Overall, just not worth the time. Not bad, just way better things to read on this topic.

[miss ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly good? i question his experiment a little bit but it was very obviously meant for good so i can't sit here and be like "well... wasn't it a little racist for him to just... become black?" but. still made me raise an eyebrow. but his studies on racism were very fascinating, and it's kind of devastating how they still ring true.

[Ann Frese · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a compliment to the Black Like Me book! It gives so much of the authors insight into what he took away from the experience of being black as well as his spiritual beliefs. (4.5 Stars)
Deep thinking involved!