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Chapter One 

Lansing, Michigan
Time: 1925-1937
In 1925 Malcolm X was born in Omaha. After his birth the family moved to Lansing. Malcolm recalls how he was the seventh child favored by his father and scolded by his mother. It wasn't always a peaceful during his early years. In 1929 the family awoke to their burning house barely making it out in time. They moved to East Lansing where not many African Americans lived at that time. The squabbles continued between his parents up until the day his father was killed by KKK members in 1931. After this his mother had to work, but he explains how hard it was for her to keep a job, because it was not long before the people she worked for found out she was African American. With eight mouths to feed, his mother needed to bring in an income. As Malcolm grew up, he was becoming more of a rebellious child. Welfare people kept stopping by the house and trying to take the kids away but his mother wasn't going to give up that easily. She was a very proud woman. Then the family joined the Seventh Day Adventists, which was a religious group. In about 1935, Malcolm's mother was starting to get visits from a gentleman caller. He seemed nice at first, but in the end he stopped coming after realizing he couldn't attend to 8 children. This was the last straw for Malcolm's mother. She was becoming weaker, mentally, and the welfare people were taking advantage of it. In the end Malcolm was sent to live with a family named the Gohnnnas' down the street, and the rest of the younger children were put up as dictate children.'' Malcolm's mother was institutionalized and stayed in the hospital for 26 years, until her children finally came to collect her.