A law is not good merely because the legislature wills it, but the legislature has the mortal duty to will only that which is good.

— John Howard Griffin

All the courtesies in the world do not cover up the one vital and massive discourtesy.

— John Howard Griffin

...[A] lot of them, without even understanding the cause, just give up. They take what they can-mostly in pleasure, and they make the grand gesture, the wild gesture, because what have they got to lose if they do die in a car wreck or a knife fight or something else equally stupid.

— John Howard Griffin

A love for his child was so profound, it spilled over to all humanity.

— John Howard Griffin

DESEGREGATE THE BUSES WITH THIS 7 POINT PROGRAM:1. Pray for guidance.2. Be courteous and friendly.3. Be neat and clean.4. Avoid loud talk.5. Do not argue.6. Report incidents immediately.7. Overcome evil with good. Sponsored by Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance Rev. A. L. Davis, Pres. Rev. J. E. Poindexter, Secretary

— John Howard Griffin

Eventually, some black thinkers believe, this "separation" may be the shortest route to an authentic communication at some future date when blacks and whites can enter into encounters in which they truly speak as equals and in which the white man will no longer load every phrase with unconscious suggestions that he has something to "concede" to black men or that he wants to help black men "overcome" their blackness.

— John Howard Griffin

He showed me the lowest. I had to surmise the highest.

— John Howard Griffin

He was not talking with US, but with his IMAGE of us.

— John Howard Griffin

He was one of those young men who possess an impressive store of facts, but no truths.

— John Howard Griffin

How can you render the duties of justice to men when you're afraid they'll be so unaware of justice they may destroy you? ...especially since their attitude toward their own race is a destructive one.

— John Howard Griffin