Black Like Me

I think the main point of this autobiographical memoir is the issue of Identity and how it applied to race. John wanted to experience firsthand what black people went through everyday, but in the process of doing so he learned things about himself that he didn't know before. In this book he was identified as a black man and a white man.
When he was going back and forth between races at one point, when he was black, white people were very rude to him, but the black community was very welcome. When he was white, the black community was fearful and sceptical and the white community was friendly and kind.
There is a very important element in this that is, how the importance of race as an identity in a racist society. Someones position in the world is largely predetermined by the color of their skin.
In 2009 we are getting a lot better. We just elected a black president, but this predetermined future by the color of your skin hasn't completely gone away.
Racism is something we are born with, it is something we learn, and until that stops, we will still have some prejudices and some racism.