Daughter of Late Minister Malcolm X

Ilyasah Shabazz | Biography

Author Of 'Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X' & 'Betty Before X'

• By Yunil Tamrakar
• Update : March 29, 2022

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Ilyasah Shabazz is the third daughter of the former minister Malcolm X.

Who is Ilyasah Shabazz?

Ilyasah Shabazz was an American author, motivational speaker, and social activist who received her bachelor's degree in biology from SUNY New Paltz. 

After that, she earned her master's degree from Fordham University in education and human resources development. However, there is no information about Shabazz's birthdate.

Shabazz was a member of the US delegation that traveled to South Africa with President Bill Clinton to commemorate President Nelson Mandela's election. Moreover, she was also part of the U.S Interfaith Leadership Delegation to Mali, West Africa, with Malaria No More.

Shabazz has received a personal letter from former President Barack Obama thanking her for preserving her 'father's proud legacy by working to secure equality in our time and for generations to come.'

Besides, Shabazz is the author of four award-winning publications, 'Growing Up X' (Random House 2002), 'Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X' (2014), 'X: A Novel' (2015), and 'Betty Before X' (2018).

Also Read About - Malcolm Harris - Bio, Age, OmniBay & Birthday

Her Father Malcom X

Shabazz was born to her father, Malcolm X, a former minister and human rights activist. Her mother, Dr. Betty Shabazz is also known as Betty X was an educator and civil rights advocate.  

Malcolm X was a leader in the 1960s civil rights movement and the Nation of Islam's spokesperson. After he retired from the Nation of Islam and renounced Elijah Muhammad, with whom he had an intense relationship, leading Malcolm to become a target for assassination. 

Malcolm rarely went anywhere without bodyguards after being the target of multiple assassination attempts. Their home in East Elmhurst, New York, was also firebombed on 14 February 1965, but no one in the family was hurt.

Unfortunately, he was assassinated on 21 February 1965, at 39, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York, nearly a year after his split from the Nation of Islam. He was fired with 15 close-range shots and was reported dead on arrival at New York's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

About Her Siblings

Shabazz is the third eldest sibling among her five siblings, Gamilah Lumumba Shabazz, Qubilah Shabazz, Malaak Shabazz, Malikah Shabazz, and Attallah Shabazz. Unfortunately, her sibling, Malikah Shabazz, the twin of her sister, Malaak Shabazz, was reported dead at 56 at her Brooklyn home in November 2021.

Attalah, the eldest sibling, was a schoolgirl in 1965 when their father, Malcolm X, was assassinated. She is a producer, writer, and diplomat who has given speeches in the United States, Europe, Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean. 

In 1995, Qubilah, the second-eldest sibling, was charged in an alleged plot to assassinate her late father's rival, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. However, according to the New York Times, she avoided a trial and a prison sentence months after her arrest by agreeing to 'accept responsibility' for her role in the plot.

Shabazz's other sibling, Gamilah Lumumba, assisted her sisters in developing Malcolm X Legacy, a clothing line featuring their father's image that includes sweatshirts, hats, and T-shirts.

Malaak and her late twin sister, Malikah, were born months after her father was murdered. Malikah was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty in 2011 after being charged with fraud and identity theft in 2011. She was charged with stealing $55,000 as well as the identity of a 70-year-old woman.

Moreover, Malikah was also reported fighting with her sisters over their mother, Betty's, estate.

What is Ilyasah Shabazz doing now?

As of 2022, Shabazz is involved in the academic field. She has been teaching Perspectives on Justice in the Africana World at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Followed by that she was also the commencement speaker at Worcester State University in 2022. 

Followed by that, she is the president and founder of Ilyasah Shabazz Enterprises. At the same time, she is also the co-chairperson of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. Her work at the foundation is focused on institution building and intergenerational leadership development, with diversity, equity, and inclusion as guiding principles.