Chapter 6 Summary

"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.

Malcolm also learned how to detect undercover police officers, a necessary ability for hustlers who were involved in illegal activities. He also learned much more about the various activities in Harlem, including robbery and prostitution. Malcolm was banned from Small's after accidentally giving a...