When Was Malcolm X A Shoe Shiner?

Malcolm X became a shoe shine boy in Boston a little after having quit school in the 8th grade.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm X's family shifted to Milwaukee, Wisconsin after he was born. Shortly after that they again moved to Lansing, Michigan. His mother suffered a mental breakdown after his father died and the children were sent to different foster homes. He dropped out of school after the 8th grade and went to Boston where Ella, his older half sister lived. That's when worked as a shoe shiner at the Lady Hip- hop nightclub. He then moved to New York where he did a number of things to support himself including becoming a numbers runner, a pimp and a drug dealer. He moved back to Boston and was sent to prison for robbery. It was in prison that his life began to change, where he educated himself and was introduced to the Nation of Islam.