You got a good conk.”, I could feel him combing, straight back, first the big comb, then the fine-. conks, but when it’s the first time, on your own head, the transformation, after However, as shown in his essay, My First Conk, Malcolm X, in fact, was victimized by this malignant disease. What did the conk symbolize to him at the time he got it? He 10th - University grade. He draped the towel around my shoulders, over my rubber apron, and began again vaselining my hair. The mirror reflected Shorty behind me. Edit. During Malcolm ’s younger years in Boston and Harlem, he maintained a “conk” hairstyle, which was a way of chemically relaxing naturally kinky hair. The conk, (derived from congolene, a hair straightener gel … There are many examples of how Malcolm X uses rhetorical appeals in this passage for example:"Going to lay that first conk… rubbing hard. “Damn right, it’s hot, In the reading "Hair" Malcolm X gives a detailed writing of when he first conked his hair. The comb felt as if it was raking my skin off. Our first Hair History story comes from Civil Rights Leader Malcolm X. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. In later years he got the nickname of ‘Detroit Red’ because of Malcolm x hair color. Yes, his hair. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." This was my first really big step toward self-degradation, ==================================================================================================================. At the age of 15, he straightened his hair and got himself a then-popular hairstyle named ‘Conk’. This post is all about his hair. I was cursing Shorty with every name I could think of A black man is denouncing pride by wearing a conk; Malcolm X points out a conk … around my neck, and combed up my bush of hair. Our, "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. My First Conk Malcolm Essay My First Malcolm Essay Conk Which they are dressed as if they are of the same status and using conk to achieve a similar hair style opinions, Malcolm X seems to be an unlikely … when he got the spray going and started soap lathering my head. Then. jar of vaseline, a large bar of soap, a large-toothed comb, and a fine-toothed Malcolm X explains the conk … Then, he was using a razor, very delicately, on the back of my neck. Your email address will not be published. Start studying Malcolm X Recalls Getting a "conk". 1.7K likes. In "My First Conk", written with Alex Haley by Malcolm X, he first describes the process of conking his hair when he goes to get the long list of items so that Shorty can make the congolene. The style was an attempt by Black males to straighten their hair to make it look like that of White men, and was accomplished by enduring a truly painstaking process of “relaxing” the hair with a … -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the symbol The “Conk” appears in, ...all the cool cats who stand around in their fancy suits and with their hair “, ...late into the night. Afro hair was chemically straightened with a … opinions, Malcolm X seems to be an unlikely victim of blind conformity. The style fell out of popularity when the Black Power movement of the 1960s took hold, and the Afro became a popular symbol of African pride. chegreen. “Now, you watch me —”. The “conk” was a popular hairstyle for Black hair that began in the 1950s. Your email address will not be published. The way the content is organized. I feel that this writing style fit the essay well. Malcolm X was one of the many black Americans who uses a conk to straighten his hair to look like a white man. Here is an excerpt from his Autobiography: Shorty soon decided that my hair was finally long enough to be conked1. me, washing his hands, then pulling on the rubber gloves, and tying on his own With his earnings, he buys his first zoot suit, a flamboyant outfit fashionable on the street. He had promised to school me in how to beat the … The congolene turned pale-yellowish. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Struggling with distance learning? In response to his decision of … He peeled the potatoes and thin-sliced them into a quart-sized Mason fruit jar, then started stirring them with a wooden spoon as he gradually poured in a little over half the can of lye. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. He then goes on to list the items they need to buy to make the “congolene” to make the conk… English. My knees were trembling. While Malcolm X left his mark in history. “Easy, man, easy!” I kept shouting. A jelly-like, starchy-looking glop resulted from the lye and potatoes, and took a handful and massaged it hard all through my hair and into the scalp. My first view in the mirror blotted out the hurting. 3. cupped my hand against the outside, and snatched it away. A conk is a hairstyle that is oftentimes used by men with curly hair. His cousin wasn’t at home. My first conk is an autograph of Malcolm X stating that he dislikes how black people undergo pain when they try to change their hair in order to look like the white people. “No,” I managed to say. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Ballantine Books edition of. In Malcolm X’s excerpt My First Conk, He describes the process to get a conk.He talks about how his friend will do it for free instead of paying for it. In his later years, as he reflects back on his youth and the culture of the “cool cats,” Malcolm no longer sees this as simply an aesthetic choice. “Sit back down, then. Background on conks and other African-American hair styles: The Autobiography of Malcolm X (written with Alex Haley) was published in 1964. comb, one of those rubber hoses with a metal spray-head, a rubber apron, and a Often, the relaxer was made at home, by mixing lye, eggs, and potatoes, the applier having to wear gloves and the receiver's head having to be rin… I spent the first month in town with my mouth hanging open. Lee illustrates the changes through his names (Malcolm Little, Red, Satan, Malcolm X, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz), through changes in his grooming (natural hair, conk… Hair, "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" DRAFT. “You always got to remember that any congolene left in burns a sore “Going to lay on that first conk?” the drugstore man asked me. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This hairstyle was immensely popular in the 1920s through the 1960s, before fading out as a result of a rise of interest in celebrating African heritage and the look of more naturally styled black hair. “So you know it’s going to burn when I comb it in — it Our first Hair History story comes from Civil Rights Leader Malcolm X. “Never use a metal spoon; the lye will turn it black,” he told me. sized white potatoes. Quiff. I feel as though Malcolm X’s choice of telling his story via a process essay was effective. A conk also known as a ” congolene” was a popular hairstyle among African Americans in the 1930’s to mid 1960’s. The conk therefore symbolizes both a racial hierarchy that puts whites above blacks and an unawareness by some African Americans of just how deep that racist ideology goes even within their own psychology. Hair History: “My First Conk” Natural High is starting a new series of Hair History stories and facts. The conk was a major plot device in Spike Lee's film biography Malcolm X, based upon Malcolm X's own condemnation of the hairstyle as black self-degradation in his autobiography because of its … “It’s like the pad’s mine, he spends so much time with his woman,” Shorty said. You get used to it better before long. I couldn't get over marveling at how their hair was straight and shiny like white men's hair; Ella told me this was called a "conk.”, Instant downloads of all 1396 LitChart PDFs 4 years ago. MALCOLM'S FIRST CONK HAIRSTYLE In 1920s America, a new hairstyle known as the “conk” swept through the African American community. I couldn’t stand it any longer; I head, be sure to tell me any-where you feel any little stinging,” Shorty warned Malcolm X was a human rights activist, public speaker and minister in the 1950’s and early 60’s. But then my. To give your hair a more … When Shorty let me stand up and see in the mirror, my hair hung down in limp, damp strings. He starts to grow his hair out so that he can “, Finally, Malcolm’s hair is long enough to be, ...get all of the relaxant out, dries him off, and shows him his brand new, Malcolm is in love with his new hair and vows to never go without a, ...zoot suit, which he chooses very carefully and purchases on credit. I feel through this essay he was able to describe the steps of getting a conk. I took the little list of ingredients he had printed out for me, and went to “The first time’s always worst. The flame came back as Shorty, with a thick towel, started drying my head. My eyes watered, my nose was running. Hair Hair from The Autobiography of Malcolm X Malcolm X with Alex Haley Shorty soon decided that my hair was finally long enough to be conked. “Feel the jar,” Shorty said. During Malcolm’s younger years in Boston and Harlem, he maintained a “conk” hairstyle, which was a way of chemically relaxing naturally kinky hair. Since then, conking hair has become synonymous with relaxing hair so it appears straight and smooth. The style was popular among African American men … Relaxers … Boutique hair salon for the whole family. into your head.”. 1c. Word choice that highlights this would be "conk," a process used to straighten out his naturally curly hair. Then at a drugstore near the poolroom, I asked for a large He reflects later that this was his first “step towards self-degradation,” as he attempted to look white by enduring so much pain just to have straight hair. In this tone, Malcolm is a youth and, invariably, becomes a product of the street culture. Malcolm is in love with his new hair and vows to never go without a conk again. 47% average accuracy. I’d seen some pretty Shorty paid six dollars a week for a room in his cousin’s shabby apartment. This is also known as lye or a relaxer to modern times. The style was popular among African American men from the 1920s to the 1960s, despite the risk of chemical burns and the high amount of care necessary to maintain it. ** starts at 4:09. A conk is an emphasized symbol of castration, to be the white standard. I think we got it all out okay.” You, took it real good, homeboy. rubber apron. Rather, the style is motivated by a deep sense of racial inferiority and adoration for everything white. burns bad. He got his red hair color from his white grandfather who was Scottish. This hairstyle called for a man with naturally "kinky" hair to have it chemically straightened using a relaxer (sometimes the pure corrosive chemical lye), so that the newly straightened hair could be styled in specific ways. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. LitCharts Teacher Editions. down close. Natural High is starting a new series of Hair History stories and facts. Conk Hair, Goodwood. I Conk Nowadays we call this hair straightening process getting a relaxer, but back in Malcolm's day he got a conk. Malcolm thought that conking ones' hair was a step into "sophistication". How self love has evolved into a celebration for us all to enjoy? But the longer you can stand it, the straighter the hair.”, He made me sit down, and he tied the string of the new rubber apron tightly Services include mens, ladies and kids cuts, colour services, hair extensions, hair smoothing treatments. Malcolm begins to shoot craps, play cards, gamble, drink, smoke, and use drugs. The conk hairdo is a hairstyle for African-American men which involves the use of a chemical relaxer to straighten the hair. In his Autobiography simply entitled” The Autobiography of Malcolm X,”  he shares his recipe for his “first conk.”. It is only after Malcolm converts to the Nation of Islam and gains confidence in himself as a black man that he understands the conk in this way. He lathered and spray-rinsed, lathered and spray-rinsed, maybe ten or twelve times, each time gradually closing the hot-water faucet, until the rinse was cold, and that helped some. Also here is a clip of a reenactment of his first conk in Spike Lee’s Biography film Malcolm X, starring Denzel Washington and Spike Lee as Shorty. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. What are your thoughts on how times have changed? Personal Life: Malcolm X also called Malcolm … Nowadays we call this hair straightening process getting a relaxer, but back in Malcolm's day he got a conk. A black man is denouncing pride by wearing a conk; Malcolm X points out a conk will not attract any affection from women, especially a black woman with pride. Then, from the big vaseline jar, he hair conked. He had promised to school me in how to beat the barbershops’ three- and four-dollar price by making up congolene, and then conking ourselves. The conk (derived from congolene, a hair straightener gel made from lye) was a hairstyle popular among African-American men from the 1920s to the 1960s. A hair straghting procedure 1b.Why did Malcolm X want to get his hair conked? There is only one time in his life when Malcolm's hair is chemically straightened on a regular … ... What word best describes Malcolm's attitude toward his conk … It also showed how each steps led to the end result of a conk hair … Shorty broke in the two eggs, stirring real fast — his own conk and dark face bent that’s the lye,” he said. Learn how your comment data is processed. Teachers and parents! also thickly vaselined my neck, ears and forehead. Save. While he needs no introduction here is a small background on his history. 90 times. The conk symbolizes to him the adherence to the … Straightening black hair, … Then, with a fresh, ...themselves up and not fall for the “white man’s tricks” by getting drunk or getting, “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Malcolm wants to get his hair conked in an attempt to have a more “white” style of hair. I gritted my teeth and tried to pull the sides of the kitchen table together. He figured that the conk was for the "upper class" negroes, so if he got a conk… While he needs no … Malcolm X further dicusses the self hatred that went on daily during his time and how impressive conks make African Americans feel . The conk was a major plot device in Spike Lee's film biography Malcolm X, based upon Malcolm … The conk symbolizes the want in black Americans to be white because of the stereotype … I proudly told, The congolene just felt warm when Shorty started combing it in. (including. He also gets his first “conk,” a hairstyle in which one’s hair … He was and still is considered an advocate for African Americans of his time and even today. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There is only one time in his life when Malcolm's hair is chemically straightened on a regular … bolted to the washbasin. Conk hair can be pulled up into a quiff style at the front of the head. a grocery store, where I got a can of Red Devil lye, two eggs, and two medium- The following excerpt from that book describes the painful and painstaking process many African-American men once endured to achieve a style of straight hair called a “ conk … pair of gloves. Once Malcolm reaches this conclusion, he sees the conk as a badge of shame; however, the person wearing it is usually unaware of their subconscious self-hatred. Black men, he thinks, are so desperate to be like white men, who have better jobs, more wealth, and more rights than them, that they will undergo a painful procedure to have hair that looks like that of a white person. 1. He explains how silly he was to want to change is hair to feel superior. The sharp dressed young "cats" who hung on the corners and in the poolrooms, bars and restaurants, and who obviously didn't work anywhere, completely entranced me. Required fields are marked *. My scalp still flamed, but not as badly; I could bear it. “When I get to washing out your In his own sometimes unintentional pursuit, Malcolm was a man of many phases. We both were grinning and sweating. Malcolm X and the Conk Due No Due Date Points 0; Directions: Read the following passage on Conk then complete the warmup in your daybook. the lifetime of kinks, is staggering. 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