Accepting Who You Are

In the two memoirs, Malcolm X and Langston Hughes, both feel degraded by their own race. They were both born and raised in a white populated community. Both knowing that they do not belong and that they are not equal to the whites. But, they handle the situations in a different manner. Malcolm X did not believe that Caucasian and African American people could be together, or treated equal. He always believed that the White people had the priority and that they were above his own race. This is what had led him into the decision of changing his own appearance to become like the “white” people. He went through pain and suffering to bleach his hair so that it looked like a white man’s hair color. Despite the fact that he had different color hair, it did not change the fact that no matter what he did, he would still be African American. In the end, Malcolm X regretted his actions and realized that there nothing wrong with his looks in the first place. On the other hand, Langston Hughes had different perspectives. He had a more passive approach and tried to think of everything in an optimistic matter. He believed that both “White” and “Black” people could learn from each other. In the poem, Hughes lists the things he likes because he tried to show that he is not pessimistic about his life. He was also expressing individuality and commonality with the instructor and the others. Unlike Malcolm X, Hughes accepted himself for who he was. He did not try to change his appearance to “fit in” nor did he try to act a different way to socialize with the white people. Aside from all the differences, they also had similar ways of thinking. They both were uncomfortable with the color of their skin. This was because they lived in white community. Which led them to being uncomfortable with adaption and change. This all leads to accepting who you are and no matter what, you should never look down on yourself.