Malcolm X's father was a Baptist minister. He was also an organizer for Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association, which preached black purity and tried to persuade black people to return to Africa, an idea threatening to whites who relied on their labor.

In the opening pages of the book, Malcolm X introduces us to this tall, fearful figure with one eye. His own father gives us insights into why Malcolm became the person he was: like his father, Malcolm would become a fearless preacher, though in his case it was for a Muslim separatist group. He would also preach black pride, and for most of his life he would try to encourage black people to build a culture seperate from whites.

As the book opens, Malcolm describes the Ku Klux Klan coming to his home, looking for his father, who they thought was a troublemaker.