Moreover, the efforts they put in also resonate with the larger community and their experiences and what the struggles of frizzy hair mean to them and the community. Black people loved their hair and the effort they put into making it perfect, but there were negative comments due to the fact that black people had different hair styles than white people. Gates also talks about growing up during the black civil rights era and learning not to be treated the same as white people. In the text, Gates states: "Because Dad had straight hair, I would do anything to have straight hair, and I tried anything to make it straight, unless I got a process, which only the scum were stupid enough to do” (Gates, 45). In other words, this means that they would do everything in their power to have straight hair so as not to be criticized by white people for being different. Another attitude expressed by the community was that they were ashamed of their hair and appearance. For example, Gates said, "Mr. Charlie hid his Frederick Douglass mane under a big white Stetson hat that I never saw him take off." Except when he came to our house, late at night, to get his hair done” (Gates 43). As a result, this shows that he was too embarrassed to be seen in public because he did not want to be personally invaded or harassed.