The Man Who Darkened His Skin to Fight Racism

In 1959, a white journalist from Dallas made a shocking decision: he would temporarily darken his skin and pass as Black in the segregated American South. John Howard Griffin wasn't performing for entertainment—he was conducting a dangerous social experiment to expose racism from the inside. Armed with skin-darkening treatments and a shaved head, Griffin spent weeks navigating a world where the simplest conveniences became humiliating obstacles. He couldn't drink from "white" fountains. He faced the withering "hate stare" from strangers. White men sexualized and dehumanized him.

His book, Black Like Me, became a bombshell exposé that forced white America to confront its own cruelty. But the cost was brutal: Griffin was nearly beaten to death by a mob in Mississippi, and his own Texas hometown hanged him in effigy. This is the forgotten story of a white man who fought the Nazis in Europe, then turned that same resistance spirit against American racism—with consequences that would haunt him for life.

What drives someone to risk everything to expose injustice? Discover the surprising, complicated legacy of one of America's most controversial anti-racism experiments. Subscribe to Hometown History for forgotten stories that reveal the truth about who we were—and who we are.

Show Notes: In This Episode:

• A white journalist's radical 1959 experiment to experience Jim Crow racism firsthand
• How skin-darkening treatments and medical procedures transformed Griffin's appearance
• The brutal realities of segregation: denied water, "hate stares," and constant dehumanization
• The violent backlash that nearly killed Griffin and turned his hometown against him
• Why Black Like Me remains controversial and relevant 65 years later

Key Figures:

• John Howard Griffin - Texas journalist, author, and former French Resistance fighter who darkened his skin to expose American racism

Timeline:

• 1959: Griffin undergoes skin treatments and goes undercover in New Orleans and the Deep South
• 1961: Black Like Me published, becoming instant bestseller and cultural lightning rod
• 1964: Griffin brutally attacked by white mob in rural Mississippi who recognized him
• Griffin's Texas hometown hangs him in effigy; faces death threats for years

Tags: Black Like Me, John Howard Griffin, 1959, segregation, Jim Crow, civil rights history, Texas history, American racism, Deep South, New Orleans history, forgotten history, local history, true story, American history, 1960s civil rights, undercover journalism, racial justice, Mississippi history, Dallas history

Category: History

Chapter Markers: 0:00 - Introduction: The Blackface Question 2:30 - John Howard Griffin: From Nazi Fighter to Civil Rights Crusader 5:00 - The Experiment Begins: Darkening His Skin 7:30 - Undercover in Jim Crow Louisiana 11:00 - The Hate Stare: Experiencing Daily Dehumanization 14:00 - Black Like Me: Publishing the Truth 16:30 - The Brutal Backlash: Nearly Beaten to Death 19:00 - Legacy and Lessons: Why This Story Still Matters

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