About 50 years ago, I first read "Black Boy" by Richard Wright and was deeply touched by the abject

[Atticus]

poverty and open discrimination the author endured. My own grandparents were also "dirt poor" and my mother suffered from malnutrition as a child, but they were caucasians. While they were sometimes called hillbillies and "white trash", neither they nor I had to live in an openly hostile community that somehow "justified" its hostility because of race.

Some may find some of Mr. Wright's descriptions---of outhouses, observed nudity, etc.---"disgusting", but that's because truth often is.

"Black Boy" was one of this white boy's "eye openers". I believe its truth is still relevant today. If you have not read it yet, add it to your list.

[East-A-Squared]

1. Read it in 10th grade English class.

[Hoyt]

2. Sorry, somehow posted twice. N/t

[Hoyt]

3. My eye-opener was "Black Like Me," about 55 years ago. It was about

the same time gubnors, like George Wallace, were standing in the doorways of state funded colleges saying, “Only whites can enter.” Of course, the Civil Rights Act, Freedom Riders, marches, etc., were about the same time.

Movie was pretty good too.

As far as outhouses, my grandparent’s house had one. That’s where I lived my first 6 months, but didn’t use the outhouse, would have fallen in that ditch. I did fall in a cess pool, though.

One of the things I still remember to this day was Howard Griffin describing the “hate stare” from so many white people who passed him by. I still am very careful not to let those days when I’m just generally in a bad mood look like a “hate stare.” Life is tough enough for those still experiencing such hatred.

Will have to read “Black Boy.”

[LuckyLib]

4. I first read Black Boy at age 13. It astounded me.

It was the beginning of my social and political development. Native Son was another one. Amazing.