Lansing, Michigan

Malcolm grows up in Lansing, Michigan, a relatively rural city that was very segregated at this time. The Littles first house was burned down by the Klu Klux Klan because Earl Little built on land in a white neighborhood. Earl is later murdered in Lansing, thrown in front of a streetcar by Klan members. Malcolm's light-skinned mother Louise was fired from her job when her employer realized she was, in fact, black. Malcolm and his siblings are frequently called the n-word by neighbors, and even friends. Malcolm is quick to leave Lansing behind when Ella invites him to Boston, and he cannot understand why his siblings would choose to stay. When he returns to Lansing to visit, Malcolm tries to impress the Littles with his clothing and stories from the city, but they are not fazed. Unlike Malcolm, they do not feel encumbered by living in Lansing...