children fled to the North after Matthews killed a white woman; Ella once again had to work alone to provide for herself and her children. Ella's health began to deteriorate. Lacking rent money, she and her sons were forced to move several times. A paralytic stroke disabled her, so Richard was forced to write to his grandmother for help. Ella's siblings gave what help they could, but none of them could take on the responsibility for both of her children. Richard's grandmother took on the responsibility for caring for Ella. Maggie took Richard's younger brother to be raised in Detroit, while Richard chose to live with his Uncle Clark, who lived close to Richard's grandmother. However, Richard ultimately could not get along with Clark and his wife, Jody, so he returned to Jackson to live with his mother in his grandparents' home. Richard's grandmother was a strict Seventh Day Adventist, but Richard was an atheist from an early age. He also had aspirations to be a writer, a profession that his grandmother distrusted as "worldly." His relationship with his grandmother was, therefore, a never-ending confrontation. His Aunt Addie eventually joined the crusade to save his soul, and Richard was enrolled in the religious school where she taught. One day, she beat Richard in class for an offense that he did not commit. She tried to beat him again after school, but Richard fought her off with a knife. In the following years, Richard would have to arm himself against the violence of various members of his family. Despite his erratic schooling, Richard managed to graduate from the ninth grade. He tried to work to save money in order to move to the North, but he found himself unable to assume the role of humble inferior to his white employers and co-workers. During this time, he suffered numerous frightening, often violent, confrontations with white racism. He moved to Memphis where the atmosphere was less dangerous. He rebuffed the attempts of his ...
