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Stereotypes

A stereotype is a widely held but fixed oversimplified idea of a particular person or group.

Stereotyping is a constant theme in "Black Like Me". During this time, the fifties, it was a common thing for the African American race to lose respect and opportunities due to the stereotype that was placed on them. One example of this is the stereotype that blacks are unintelligent. The text says, "you take a young white boy. he can go through school and college with a real incentive. he knows he can make good money in any profession, but can a negro? No, I've seen many make brilliant grades in college and come home in the summers to earn little money. They can't get jobs according to their education." The blacks were stereotyped that they were unskilled and unintelligent so they couldn't get jobs due to this stereotype. Another similar example of the stereotype that blacks are dumb is found on page 90. It says, "Why, you can talk intelligently! he was so obtuse he did not realize the implied insult in his astonishment that a black man could do anything but say Yes Sir and mumble four letter words." This shows that they are stereotyped to be stupid. People automatically assume they are stupid. This isn't the only stereotype that they face though. Another example is regarding their morality. People often assume that they are immoral and are basically animals. During a conversation he is having with a truck driver is shows this. He says, "You people regard sex as a total experience. Anything that makes you feel good is morally right for you." (page 89) Blacks, specifically black men, are seen as these sex manics you are immoral, even though that's widely not true. It is yet another stereotype placed on these people. In "Black Like Me" there are many cases of stereotyping.

Internalized Oppression

Prejudice is a preconceived notion or idea that is not actually based off of any experience.

In the book, "Black Like Me", John Howard Griffin faced many times where prejudice got in the way before he could even talk to a person. One example of this is when John was waiting for a bus. He said, "Once again a hate stare drew my attention like a magnet. It came from a middle aged, heavy set, well dressed white man...you feel lost sick at heart before such unmasked hatred."(page 54) This man didn't even know John but he had already had his preconceived notions about him. He made his decisions based on his appearance not even knowing him as a person. Another example of this is when he was trying to cash some travelers checks. The woman refused to take them so he continued to say, "I know I was making a pest of myself, but I could scarcely believe this nice young lady could be so unsympathetic, so insolent." (page 52) This woman was bitter to him from the moment she saw him. She had a prejudice and it clearly showed in this situation. Another example is when John is hitch hiking. He comes across a gas station and goes inside to purchase some food from some white owners who obviously don't want him there. He says, "I could see her hesitate, her caution and repugnance struggling against instincts of common decency. She obviously wanted to refuse me."(page 106) This woman didn't even want to help a paying costumer because she hated him without even knowing him. This shows up all over the book that peoples ideas of what they think people are overpower how it actually is. Prejudice is another sad stage of the cycle of oppression that happens tons in Black Like Me.

Internalized oppression is when a member of an oppressed group believes the stereotypes of that group

Internalized Oppression is the sad result of being oppressed. It when when people are so long told what they aren't, that it actually turns into what they are. This is true in many cases for blacks. In Black Like Me this is shown many times. In one instance it says, "Yes, but Negroes have more illegitimate children, earlier loss of virginity and more more these are established facts." (page 92) This is true because this is what people make them out to be. People tell theme that they are these immoral animals so they end up turning that way. In another example John explains how the same things can happen to whites. He says, "You place a white man in the ghetto, and deprive him of educational advantages, arrange it so he has to struggle hard to fulfill his instincts for self-respect, give him little physical privacy and less leisure, and he would after a time assume the same characteristics you attach to the Negro." (page 91) This shows that anybody could fall under this in the right circumstances. It's not just blacks but anybody that can face that. Another example is that blacks aren't smart. In many cases blacks aren't given the educational opportunities as whites. This results in them not having the same intelligence. This isn't because of the race but rather the fact that they are told this and that they don't get the same opportunities. Blacks dealt with Internalized Oppression in Black Like Me.

The Cycle of Oppression

The cycle of oppression can be thought of as a never ending circle of unjust treatment to a cultural group. It consists of Stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, oppression, and internalized oppression. This cycle is shown in many examples in "Black Like Me"

Discrimination

Oppression

Oppression is prolonged unjust or cruel treatment or control.

Discrimination is unjust treatment of a group especially on the ground of race, religion, or sex.

John hears many examples of oppression while he journeys to the south. He either discovers them for himself or even has people straight up tell him so. One example of this is when he is talking about jobs to a white man and the man says, "I'll tell you how it is here. We'll do business with you people. We'll sure as hell screw over your women. Other than that you are just completely off the record as far as we're concerned. And the quicker you people get it through your heads the better off you'll be." This man straight up tells him that this is how they will always treat the black race. This shows that he doesn't just treat them like this once, but he will forever. Another example of this is through job opportunity. John at one point says, "I read recently where one of them said that equality of education and job opportunity would be an even greater tragedy for us. He said it would quickly prove to us that we can't measure up". This shows that they will forever discriminate against black when it comes to jobs. They will oppress them for as long as they can. The last example is similar to discrimination. Oppression is prolonged unjust treatment so not allowing them to sit in the same place on the bus in oppression. John always has to sit in the back and is even denied the right to use the restroom on a rest break. This is prolonged as has happened for years with everything. This is everywhere in the south and happens for a very long time. Oppression is in many cases in Black Like Me.

Discrimination is found on every page of "Black Like Me". It really is the entire reason that he undergoes this journey to know what discrimination feels like. The most common example of this is just the fact that he has to use certain bathrooms, drinking fountains, and even restaurants. They discriminate them in every little thing that they can. Discrimination is literally around every corner and it is found in many examples like that in "Black Like Me". Another example of this is found when he was traveling on a bus. He tried to get off but the driver wouldn't let him. He says "At each stop, I sounded the buzzer, but the driver continued through the next two stops. He drove me eight full blocks past my original stop and pulled up then only because some whit passengers wanted to get off."(page 48). this many deliberately treated him unlike a white passenger due to his skin color. He had not an ounce of sympathy and dehumanized him. This is one of the more extreme examples of discrimination. Another example is on a separate bus just shortly after the incident before. It is a long bus ride to Mississippi and they stop the bus for a short rest break. The blacks try to get off but the bus driver refuses them off. After this it says, "We turned like a small herd of cattle and drifted back to our seats. The others grumbled about how unfair it was." (page 63) These people were denied the things that the whites had but they really were used to this. The discrimination in this time was everywhere, but it was very unjust. Discrimination shows up many times in Black Like Me.

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