The book takes place in 1950 and 1960. The main character is John Howard Griffin.

John is a journalist. He has picked the topic of racism for his next article. To get both the white and the Negro's opinion on racism, he must do what no man has ever done before. He must become one of the Negroes. He dyes his skin a dark brown with the help of some pigmentation pills. He moves into Mississippi, and perceives what it is like to be a Negro. John notices that Negroes have more things to worry about than white people do. If a Negro so much as steps one toe out of line, he gets the worst punishment from white people.

As John hitchhikes around the state, many white people pick him up. Only one out of every 15 people that picked him up treated him as an equal. Many of the people talked trash to him and talked about how much they think the Negroes should be banned, because they don't have feelings, or any moral stature. After John's adventure, he returns to his natural color. His journeys have been publicized, and he has been getting many threats, as well as many admiring letters.

I liked the book, because it showed that all people should be treated as equals, and John showed real courage throughout the book, to prove that Negroes are just as good as white people. I would recommend this book to 12 years old and up.