---
title: "1 Man Knew Quotes By John Howard Griffin"
description: "1 Man Knew quotes by John Howard Griffin. Plus more from John Howard Griffin and more Man Knew sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/john-howard-griffin-21519_black-men_i-knew-and-every-black-man-there-knew-th_618047.jpg"
---

> [“I knew, and every black man there knew, that I, as a man now white once again, could say the things that needed saying but would be rejected if black men said them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/i-knew-and-every-black-man-there-knew-that-i-as-a-man-now-white-once/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/john-howard-griffin-21519_black-men_i-knew-and-every-black-man-there-knew-th_618047.jpg)

## More by John Howard Griffin

> [He who is less than just is less than man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/he-who-is-less-than-just-is-less-than-man/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“We led strange, hidden lives. We were advocating one thing: that this country rid itself of the racism that prevented some citizens from living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/we-led-strange-hidden-lives-we-were-advocating-one-thing-that-this/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“I remained in my room more and more each day. The situation in Montgomery was so strange I decided to try passing back into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/i-remained-in-my-room-more-and-more-each-day-the-situation-in/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [The Negro. The South. These are the details. The real story is the universal one of men who destroy the souls of other men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/the-negro-the-south-these-are-the-details-the-real-story-is-the/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“All human beings face the same fundamental problems of loving and of suffering, of striving toward human aspirations for themselves and their children, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/all-human-beings-face-the-same-fundamental-problems-of-loving-and-of/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“I knew, and every black man there knew, that I, as a man now white once again, could say the things that needed saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/i-knew-and-every-black-man-there-knew-that-i-as-a-man-now-white-once/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“The delusion lies in the fact that no matter how well we think we know the Other, we still judge from within the imprisoning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/the-delusion-lies-in-the-fact-that-no-matter-how-well-we-think-we/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“Many otherwise decent men and women could find no other solution. They are willing to degrade themselves to their basest levels to prevent the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/many-otherwise-decent-men-and-women-could-find-no-other-solution-they/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“We need a conversion of morals," the elderly man said. "Not just superficially, but profoundly. And in both races. We need a great saint-some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/we-need-a-conversion-of-morals-the-elderly-man-said-not-just/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“Some wanted to know where they could find girls, wanted us to get Negro girls for them. We learned to spot these from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/some-wanted-to-know-where-they-could-find-girls-wanted-us-to-get/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“God is invoked … and He is invoked against the God of the spirit, of intelligence and love - excluding and hating this God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/god-is-invoked-and-he-is-invoked-against-the-god-of-the-spirit-of/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [ “...\[C\]ulture-learned behavior patterns so deeply engrained they produce unconscious involuntary reactions-is a prison.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/c-ulture-learned-behavior-patterns-so-deeply-engrained-they-produce/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [If we say, as we do, that no one in this country intends for racism to lead to genocide, the effects of racism are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/if-we-say-as-we-do-that-no-one-in-this-country-intends-for-racism-to/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“Newspapers play up as sensational every attempt by a Negro to rape a white woman. Yet this white rape of Negro women is apparently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/newspapers-play-up-as-sensational-every-attempt-by-a-negro-to-rape-a/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

> [“Phew!” His small blue eyes shone with repugnance, a look of such unreasoning contempt for my skin that it filled me with despair. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-griffin/phew-his-small-blue-eyes-shone-with-repugnance-a-look-of-such/)

[John Howard Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-griffin/)

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