The book is a real life report of the experiences of a white author, John Howard Griffin, who temporarily transforms himself into an African American for six long and forceful weeks. This is so that he can personally experience African American cruelty and abuse. It begins on October 28, 1959, with the author's incredible decision to go through medical treatment to change the color of his skin. The book then develops into an autobiographical diary, recounting almost on a everyday basis the author's numerous experiences as an African American; the good, the bad and the ugly that he personally encounters. How he is denied the very basics of life like food, water, rest, shelter, and toilet. How is mind is damaged through hate and fear. How his only identity to the white race was as a buyer or manual worker, or pleasure of the whites. An example of this is: African Americans can buy anything from a store, but they cannot use the soda fountain service. Even for a glass of water, a African American must only go to the nearest African American cafe, which is always far away or at times, non-existent.
But the book also describes other men and situations. The author encounters countless common African Americans men and women, who show him politeness and kindness even though they are total strangers. They treat him with great kindness, courtesy and respect, so that he feels reassured that a human being can show feelings other than hostility or hate.
One such person is the African American shoeshine man Sterling Williams, an elderly, big and lame, shoeshine man with many pure qualities. He is smart, polite and friendly. Williams is full of dignity and self-respect, and just does not only shine other people's shoes but is a lustrous person himself.
Then he also meets a few men in Atlanta, who reveal to him the heights to which they have climbed in spite of all the obstacles and their involvement to the African American cause.
