Dialectical Journal: Black Like Me
Reading Notes | Comments and Questions | They were apparently friends one minute then then something would come up and one would get slashed up with a knife (pg.8) | I think of it as having your whole family against you when you have important decisions to make. If they, who are always supposed to be there for you turn their backs when you most need them, then who will? Just like race we tend to trust those within our own people who have the same background, but if you can’t trust them then you can you trust. | Though street cars are not segregated in new Orleans, I took a seat near the back. (pg.12) | Even after all they blacks went through to be able to ride the bus and not be segregated they still decide to segregate themselves making all the efforts previous people like Rosa Parks and Dr. King useless. | Here it was all pennies and clutter and spittle on the curb. Here people walked fast to juggle the dimes, to make a deal, to find cheap liver or a tomato that was overripe. Here was the indefinable stink of despair. Here modesty was a luxury. People struggled for it. (pg. 18) | Most of the people I know including myself waste so much food. Reading this section of the book made me realize how hard they had it and how hard I was to find food especially if you didn’t have money. I personally feel so ungrateful because I can’t eat fruit if it’s bruised but here are these people eating almost spoiled tomatoes. | “Some wanted to know where they could find girls, wanted us to get Negro girls. We learned to spot them from the moment they sat down, for they were immediately friendly and treated us with the warmth and courtesy of equals. (pg.26) | I find it clever how Mr. Griffin was able to identify the men that wanted something out of him just by the greeting. I think that he put this here so we would realize how observant he was and that he was able to make connections. | The man trembled with expectation as Joe leisurely smoothed the food with the back of