Black Like Me
By John Howard Griffin
True story of a man who paints his skin or dies his skin black and shaves his head to see how the racist tension is towards him as a black man. He is immediately accepted by the black people and they give him a place to stay, warn him and help him along the way. The white people discriminate by calling him names, not letting him sit down or use restrooms in certain places, and much more. He kept his name Though he keeps the same name or does not change his voice, he was not rejected by the whites but was excepted by the black just because of his skin color.
Pretty interesting that just because of the color of his skin he is totally accepted by the blacks and finds out that they are nice, cordial and protective over their “own people”. His observation is that the blacks love their kids like white people, they are moral or immoral just like white people, etc.
The missionary application reminds me of Hudson Taylor, a man who rejected the western culture to become Chinese in his dress, culture and food diet. The westerners rejected him, but the Chinese accepted him.
If a missionary keeps his “American attitude” (believing he is superior) he will be treated as an outsider, but if he will jump into the culture and become like the people, he will be accepted, loved and protected by the people he is working wit