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Malcolm Internalized Racism-Assimilation Essay Name - Date

Malcolm internalized racism when he first got a conk to straighten his hair to look more like white people's hair. He was admiring how white his hair looked and saw this as the first step toward self-degradation. Other examples in the text show Malcolm's internalized racism and attempts to assimilate into white culture through adopting white hairstyles and mannerisms. However, assimilation is not always due to internalized racism, as sometimes it is a means of survival rather than embracing white cultural superiority.

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Zanabe Othman
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37 views1 page

Malcolm Internalized Racism-Assimilation Essay Name - Date

Malcolm internalized racism when he first got a conk to straighten his hair to look more like white people's hair. He was admiring how white his hair looked and saw this as the first step toward self-degradation. Other examples in the text show Malcolm's internalized racism and attempts to assimilate into white culture through adopting white hairstyles and mannerisms. However, assimilation is not always due to internalized racism, as sometimes it is a means of survival rather than embracing white cultural superiority.

Uploaded by

Zanabe Othman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Malcolm Internalized Racism- Assimilation Essay

Name ___________________________________________________ Date______


When reflecting upon his first time getting a conk, Malcolm states, “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.” How
is the motivation behind Malcolm’s decision to conk his hair an example of internalized racism?
What are some other examples of internalized racism seen in chapters three through five? Are
the examples of internalized racism you have also examples of Malcolm attempting to
assimilate into White culture? If yes, is assimilation always a result of internalized racism?
Defend your response. If no, are there times when assimilation is a form of internalized racism?
Defend your response.

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