Malcom X was an African American leader who fought for the rights of black people. He is best known for his work with the Nation of Islam and his famous speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet.” In his autobiography, Malcom X describes his experience getting a “conk” – a hairstyle that involves straightening the hair with chemicals.
Malcom X described the process of getting a conk as painful, but he did it because he wanted to look more like white people. He thought that if he could make himself look more like white people, then maybe they would treat him better. Unfortunately, Malcom X soon realized that no matter how he looked on the outside, white people would always see him as inferior.
Despite the pain and disappointment, Malcom X continued to fight for the rights of black people. He believed that eventually, black people would be treated equally and with respect. Malcom X’s legacy continues to inspire people today.
Over time, African Americans have gradually established roots in the United States. They weren’t long ago viewed as outsiders in society. Since then, the gap between them and the white community has begun to shrink. We begin to consider them a single nation with more similarities than differences as both groups mix together.
Although there are mixed families, people usually grow up with children of the same race. In Malcom X “My First Conk” he tells a story of how he felt the need to get a conk in order to feel like he belonged with the white community. A conk is when you straighten your hair by applying a chemical relaxer.
Malcom X grew up in the time where this was becoming a popular trend for African American men. They would go to their barber and have them chemically straighten their hair so it would lay flat. The process is painful and can cause burns if not done properly. Malcom X did it anyway because he wanted to look like the white man. He wanted to fit in and feel accepted.
What happens when one society loses its culture more than the other? In an effort to appeal to the white man’s idea of beauty, African Americans have been choosing to supplant their natural selves. They appear to have accepted these slights as genuine rather than rebelling against them.
In the essay “My First Conk” Malcom X describes his experience of getting his first conk. A conk is a hairstyle in which the hair is straightened out with chemicals. This was a popular hairstyle among African Americans in the early and mid 1900s. Malcom X’s story begins when he is 14 years old and living in Lansing, Michigan.
He and his friends are eager to become men and they believe that getting their first conk will help them get there. They go to a local barbershop where the barber agrees to do their hair. The process is incredibly painful but Malcom X endures it because he believes that it will make him more attractive to white girls.
Why is it that instead of embracing their natural traits, they hide them under wigs or chemically alter them? Although some beauty procedures are widespread across most African American communities, engaging in these behaviors is equivalent to implying that blacks aren’t good enough. In his essay titled “My First Conk,” Malcom X demonstrates how his first conking went for him.
A conk is a hairstyle in which straight hair is achieved by using a relaxer or caustic substance. Malcom tells us that because he wanted to look like white people he was willing to endure the pain of conking his hair.
He writes, “I never will forget how much it hurt, heat rising up under my skin, my eyes watering. But I endured it because I wanted to look like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Tony Curtis rolled into one” (Malcom X 4). Malcom’s reference to these white celebrities demonstrates how deeply ingrained the idea that white is better than black was for him. He was willing to put himself through physical pain in order to look like white people.
The fact that Malcom was so self-hatred is not surprising when we consider the messages that he received from the larger society. African Americans were bombarded with messages that told them they were inferior to whites. Malcom’s conking illustrates just how effective these messages were.
While Malcom X’s story is certainly one of self-hatred it is also a story of resilience and strength. Malcom was eventually able to see beyond the lies that he had been fed his entire life and come to love himself and his people. In the end, Malcom’s story is one of hope and inspiration.
Malcom X’s story is one that African Americans can relate to. It highlights the self-hatred that many blacks feel as a result of the messages they receive from society. Malcom’s story is also one of hope and inspiration, showing that it is possible to overcome these messages and learn to love oneself.
Conking is a process in which black males use mostly household products to create a gel and then apply it to their hair to straighten it. The presence of lye in the gel is what causes the scalp to burn. Malcolm used to be a devoted conker, but he’s since regretted his past behavior. He now views it as a symbol of his self-loathing and lack of confidence in his African heritage.
Conking was popularized in the early twentieth century but its origins can be traced back to Africa. The method was brought over by slaves who used it to mimic the hairstyles of their white masters. It was seen as a way to gain acceptance in a society that was racially divided. Malcom X’s experience with conking is just one example of how African Americans have been forced to assimilate to white culture in order to survive.
Despite the pain that Malcom X associates with cooking, he admits that it did give him a sense of power and control at a time when he felt like an outsider in both the black and white communities. For many African Americans, conking is still seen as a necessary evil in order to conform to Eurocentric standards of beauty. Malcom X’s story is a reminder of how far we have come as a society and how much work still needs to be done in order to achieve equality for all.