Malcolm X #1

So far, I'm really enjoying the autobiography of Malcolm X. I find it extremely interesting the struggles Malcolm is faced with as well as all the opportunities that arise in his life. In chapter 2, Mascot, I found it interesting the way that Malcolm felt accepted by the people around him, but in reality he wasn't. Malcolm was blind to this until one day, his teacher, Mr. Ostrowski, began a conversation with Malcolm about the careers he wished to pursue later on in life. Mr. Ostrowski shot Malcolm's dream down when he said he wanted to become a lawyer. He told Malcolm to be realistic about his career choices and think of a career Malcolm could actually become. Malcolm talking of Mr. Ostrowski, "What made it really begin to disturb me was Mr. Ostrowski's advice to others in my class--all of them white. Most of them told him they were planning to become farmers. But those who wanted to strike out on their own, to try something new, he had encouraged" (38). Malcolm was one of the smartest kids in his class. However, his teacher did not see the potential Malcolm had to become what he wanted to be just because of his skin color. I think it is insane that people judge others on their physical features, not their personalities and intelligence. Numerous times, Malcolm was judged on the color of his skin, and although he was a very intelligent child, no white person acknowledged that characteristic about him. A little while into chapter 3, "Homeboy", Malcolm becomes associated with people of his skin color and the real feeling of acceptance swarms over him. However, Malcolm changes his whole outside appearance to suit the likings of what white people want blacks to be. I think Malcolm is extremely hypocritical because he always talked of how he wished black people would wake up and not fall into the hypnotism of the white "expectations". But, in chapter 3, Malcolm himself falls into that "expectation" by conking his hair and by buying a zoot suit. Malcolm talking of self shame, "But I don't see how on earth a black woman with any race pride could walk down the street with any black man wearing a conk--the emblem of his shame that he is black" (57). I think this quote is extremely meaningful because it shows how the black man is so desperate to be accepted by whites that he will shame his own race by simply changing the style of his hair into a style the white people approve of. However, in reality, the white people always see the blacks as blacks; they never see them as equals, no matter how much they change their outside appearance.