Auto Biography of Malcolm X

Chapter 6

"Detroit Red" opens with a discussion on the gambling scene, where Malcolm, among many others, would play a numbers gambling game. While he never hit big, he did occasionally win a few hundred dollars. Almost everyone played the numbers game in the poverty-stricken Harlem. It is in this chapter that Malcolm introduces the reader to West Indian Archie, a large black man who was a "runner" of the numbers. He had an excellent memory, and would memorize the numbers that everyone played rather than keeping slips--this was advantageous because he would never be caught by detectives with gambling papers.

Chapter 5

After Malcolm was fired from the soda fountain, his sister Ella helped him get a job on a railroad route selling beverages and snacks to customers, despite her disapproval of Sophia. This allowed him to travel to New York City for free, where he discovered Harlem, the all-black community of the city. During his visits to Harlem, Malcolm's co-workers introduced him to all the hot spots, to which Malcolm was immediately attracted. He knew that he would move to Harlem, where he took on a job as a waiter at one of his favorite bars, Small's Paradise, after being fired from the railroad job due to his rude behavior toward the white patrons. In Harlem, Malcolm was introduced to many other sides of city life, and he began heavy use of alcohol and marijuana.

Chapter 3

After arriving in Boston, Malcolm's sister Ella encouraged him to explore the city before finding a job. Her reasoning was that once he found work, there would be no time to see the city. Malcolm spent about a month visiting all areas of the city. Because of his size (he was very tall), people thought he was much older. Through his travels of the city, Malcolm learned of the social status of the various African-Americans.

Chapter 4

As Malcolm became more ingrained in city life, he also became adept at "Lindy Hopping," a favorite dance style of the time. While working at a soda fountain after leaving the shoeshine job, Malcolm met Laura, a quiet, studious girl. As they got to know each other better, Malcolm learned that Laura loved to Lindy Hop. They made a date to go out dancing. In order to make the date, Laura lied to her grandmother whom she was living with, an act that made her uncomfortable.

Chapter 11

As Malcolm begins his correspondence with Elijah Muhammad, he writes of his inadequacy with the English language. His solution was to copy every page of the dictionary, a page a day. Through this rigorous exercise, he learned a vast vocabulary and was able to better communicate, both in writing, and later in his speaking engagements.

Chapter 7

As a hustler, robber and drug dealer, Malcolm had many close brushes with the law. He and Sammy committed some burglaries together, and Malcolm stayed high on a variety of narcotics to keep from feeling nervous and worried all the time. He began running numbers and had regular contact with West Indian Archie. At this time, he also began working with a local madam. By this time, Harlem had lost much of its nightlife, with most whites now afraid to go into Harlem. Nevertheless, the underground nightlife continued. Malcolm's role for the madam was to meet white people downtown and escort them into Harlem, where they could meet up with black prostitutes. Malcolm noticed that most of these men were older, influential members of the white society.

Chapter 10

At the age of twenty-one, Malcolm was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison, of which he served seven. During his first few weeks, he earned the nickname "Satan" for his constant cursing of God. Alone in his cell, he would shout out curses against God, religion, and the officials.

Chapter 9

Back in Boston, Malcolm quickly put together a small gang consisting of Shorty, Sophia, her sister and their friend Rudy. (His sister Ella, shocked at what Malcolm had become, was obvious about her disappointment, but still stood by him.) With the new gang's combined connections, they began a series of house robberies. Rudy worked as a waiter for whites' upper class parties, and Sophia and her sister were able to get into houses for "tours" by putting on acts, such as pretending to be college students conducting surveys. The gang managed some successful robberies for a while, until Malcolm began to make some serious mistakes

Chapter 15

Despite Malcolm's differences with the civil rights movement, he strove to create unity in his public appearances because he felt strongly that black unity was the solution. He noted in this chapter that he felt that educated black liberals, not whites, were his biggest opponents. They sought integration while Malcolm did not. The press, however, would try to use these differences against Malcolm, but he would redirect questions to this end not by criticizing the civil rights activists, but by pointing out where they could do more. Malcolm did not want to fall into the trap that these questions were aimed at-that of dividing the black community.

Chapter 2

Having been relocated to live with the Gohannas family, Malcolm writes that he got into trouble at school and he was ordered to attend a reform school. Along the way, however, Malcolm was sent to a detention home where "bad" boys and girls were held until their hearings.

Chapter 1

Malcolm X's story opens with a troubling story about how the Ku Klux Klan visited his home while his mother was pregnant with him. From here, Malcolm goes on to tell the story of his childhood in a chapter called "Nightmare."

Chapter 17

Malcolm had been advised by a number of people that he needed to make a pilgrimage to Mecca to learn about "true Islam." Although his sister Ella had been saving money to make the pilgrimage herself, she gladly gave Malcolm the money so he could go. In the process of applying for his travel Visa, he met the Saudi ambassador, Mr. Shawarbi. The ambassador gave Malcolm a book on Islam and he also informed Malcolm that his activities had been followed by the author of the book, Adb-ar-Rhman Azzam. Mr. Shawarbi also gave him the number for his son and Mr. Azzam's son's number in Jedda.

Chapter 13

Malcolm's devotion to Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam and dedication to teaching others about the religion continued. He quit his job to study full-time under Elijah Muhammad and to serve the Nation. He was sent to Boston to open a temple, which he did successfully in only a few months. While there, he reunited with his old friend, Shorty. They had a cordial visit, although Shorty was not interested in the religion.

Chapter 18

On the return trip from the pilgrimage, Malcolm visited a number of African countries. On these trips, he discovered that his fame was known throughout the world, not just in America, which surprised him. He also started to see the issues he felt so strongly about as being more than simply a religious issue. He saw the continued need for black unity.

Chapter 14

The Nation of Islam began to receive a lot of media attention, and Malcolm frequently spoke on behalf of the Nation. He always credited Elijah Muhammad, who had expressed complete trust in Malcolm and gave him free rein to represent the Nation how he saw best. Malcolm became well known, often cited by whites as the "angry black man." He began making appearances on radio and speaking at universities. He wrote various newspaper columns and started his own paper, "Muhammad Speaks."

Chapter 16

The chapter opens in 1961, with Elijah Muhammad's failing health. He is relocated to Phoenix after doctors recommend a drier climate. At this, Malcolm is given more responsibilities within the organization. This led to further jealousy within the Nation. Allegations were made against him, including that he used the organization's money for his own purposes. His new responsibilities also kept him away from his family for weeks at a time, although Betty was a supportive wife and understood the importance of his work.

Chapter 19

This final chapter takes place while Malcolm is still alive, although it does not go into a lot of detail about his actions during 1965, when he met Alex Haley, who helped co-write and edit the autobiography. Instead, the chapter outlines his vision and philosophies and how he plans to develop the new organization, the OAAU.

Chapter 8

West Indian Archie had it out for Malcolm, for whatever reason. Regardless, this type of standoff in Harlem typically ended in someone's death. Neither one could back down from the standoff, so Malcolm continued about his days with his ears to the "wire," or grapevine, trying to figure out why Archie was after him. Malcolm had been carrying pistols for some time by this point, and he continued to do so during this time. He also continued his relationships with many well-known musicians.

Chapter 12

pon his release from prison in 1952, Malcolm moved to Detroit, Michigan, to be with his brother Wilfred and to become involved with a temple of practicing Muslims. It was after his release that he purchased his well-known glasses, in addition to a suitcase and a wristwatch.