BLACK LIKE ME Dream Variations By Langston Hughes

BLACK LIKE ME

Dream Variations- By Langston Hughes � To fling my arms wide In some place of the sun, To whirl and to dance Till the white day is done. Then rest at cool evening Beneath a tall tree While night comes on gently, Dark like me. That is my dream! To fling my arms wide In the face of the sun, Dance! Whirl! Till the quick day is done. Rest at pale evening. . . A tall, slim tree. . . Night coming tenderly Black like me.

The American South � Jim Crow System �racial caste system in the south � 1877 -mid 1960 s �Name came from a derogatory minstrel show character � African Americans � 2 nd class �Segregated everything �Education, religion, socially �Violence was acceptable

Characters � � � � John Howard Griffin- Main character and narrator, advocate for equality P. D. East- editor of the newspaper, also an advocate Sterling Williams- soft-spoken, articulate black man, who shines shoes George Levitan- Owner of Sepia Magazine, warns John Adele Jackson- Editor at Sepia, also warns John Sam Gandy- Dean of a college, visits John Christophe- Well dressed black man who rides the bus with John. Fawns towards the white passengers, condescending towards the other black passengers Don Rutledge- Photographer who photographs John

History � John Howard Griffin �Hated the racial structure of our country �Wanted to show white America what they were in denial of �Chemically treated his skin & lived as a black man and documented his experiences �He thought BLM would be obscure � 10 M copy best-seller and modern classic