John Griffin wanted to expose the differences in how Blacks and whites lived in America, especially in the Deep South. After discussing the idea with his editor, he decided to go ahead with the project and document his experiences. “How else except by becoming a Negro could a white man hope to learn the truth?” he wrote.

With the fact that H.R.40 cannot be altered by any U.S. Congressman, we are calling for Freedmen and allies alike to contact their respective House Representative, particularly those who sponsored the H.R.40 bill, to withdraw their sponsorship from the bill. We do not want this version of the H.R. 40 bill to succeed in Congress!