The Autobiography of Malcolm X

by Malcolm X

The mirror reflected Shorty behind me. We both were grinning and sweating. And on top of my head was this thick, smooth sheen of shining red hair—real red—as straight as any white man’s. How ridiculous I was! Stupid enough to stand there simply lost in admiration of my hair now looking “white,” reflected in the mirror in Shorty’s room. I vowed that I’d never again be without a conk, and I never was for many years. This was my first really big step toward self-degradation: when I endured all of that pain, literally burning my flesh to have it look like a white man’s hair. I had joined that 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. Look around today, in every small town and big city, from two-bit catfish and soda-pop joints into the “integrated” lobby of the Waldorf-Astoria, and you’ll see conks on black men. And you’ll see black women wearing these green and pink and purple and red and platinum-blonde wigs. They’re all more ridiculous than a slapstick comedy. It makes you wonder if the Negro has completely lost his sense of identity, lost touch with himself.

Really interesting. I don't know if I've seen this hairstyle on men in my life but I am notoriously bad at noticing hair. I will have to try to pay attention. Wigs are not something I'm going to get into, except I do feel bad when I see one of my patients who appears to have an itchy head due to one. I hate when my head is itchy so if they feel as unhappy as I'd feel, it would be very bad. Hopefully it is not that bad. But having fun colored hair is fun, and if it comes from a place of not liking one's natural hair that's one thing and not my place to discuss beyond taking down other white people for being racist shitheads. But if a Black person wants to have purple hair because purple hair is cool, then I think maybe a little less judging here Malcolm.