Malcolm X-- Malcolm Little

     I was, for some odd reason, intrigued by this story. I don't know if that's because I have a very personal and connected relationship with my own hair, but I liked it. I followed this story with much ease.
     The first thing I noticed was the date and title of the story, first. This gave me a good idea of the setting and time period. From the research I've done, this time period (1960s) was one filled with changes that influenced every single individual in America. There were political changes going on (i.e., Cold War, Bay of Pigs invasion, shooting of president J.F.Kennedy), social changes (i.e., racism/discrimination, Martin Luther King Jr. speeches, rise of feminism) as well as a change in the American facade (the majority of the American population no longer yearned for a sense of domestic perfection, but instead yearned for a sense of justice). From the title, I also was reminded of one of my favorite Broadway shows: Hair. It took place during the same time period and provides similar changes (political, social and "physical") for the audience to see. So even before I read the story, I predicted that this story would be one dealing with the thematic idea of change.
     I finally approached the story, eager to read, but came to a halt when I didn't know what the word "conked" meant. After a quick investigation online, I learned that "conking" the hair was a process by which hair (often African American hair) was chemically straightened. Though the look was beautifying, it was described as such a horrifically painful experience. The vivid description really put me in Malcolm's shoes. As his "head caught fire" (22) and his "eyes watered (23) from the "jelly-like, starchy-looking glop" (22), I felt it. It burned tremendously. But he described the look of his new hair-do later and said, "I'd seen some pretty conks, but when it's the first time, on your own head, the transformation, after the lifetime of kinks, is staggering (23)." This story proves the saying, "pain is beauty" to be true. Though I've never had my hair "conked"--and though I don't plan on it--I could feel Malcolm's sense of accomplishment. I also picked up on his sense of disappointment reflecting on the fact, years later: "How ridiculous I was! Stupid enough to stand there simply lost in admiration of my hair now looking white" (23).
     I was really taken back when he said, "This was my first really big step toward self-degradation: when I endured all of that pain, literally burning my flesh with lye, in order to cook my natural hair until it was limp, to have it look like a white man's hair. I had joined the multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that the black people are 'inferior'--and white people 'superior'--that they will even violate and mutilate their God-created bodies to try to look 'pretty' by white standards" (23). Wow! How empowering and incredibly honest! This really gave me a perspective; at that time, Malcolm X was taught to believe that he was  born inferior because of the way he looked. And he wasn't the only one. Like many African Americans, he was persuaded by society to believe that changing his hair would change his social standing. When he decided, with a friend, to "conk" his hair, I think he approved of the idea; it would make him look "cooler," fit in, more "superior." But as time passed, it looks like Malcolm's opinion changed. The fact that he used words with such a negative connotation (i.e., "violate," "mutilate," and "brainwashed") proves that.
     This story did in fact illustrate several changes that occurred for Malcom, such as his change in hairstyle and his change of perspective. So in a sense, this story serves as a parallel to the changes that the America was going through, on a much smaller scale. It really gave the reader insight into many aspects of the 1960s, such as degradation, hairstyle and social standings. I thought it was well-written and very interesting!