Ilyasah Shabazz
Encyclopedia
Ilyasah Shabazz is the third daughter of Malcolm X
and Betty Shabazz
. She is the author of a memoir
, Growing Up X
, and a motivational speaker
.
, New York
, on July 22, 1962. She was named after Elijah Muhammad
, leader of the Nation of Islam
, the religious and Black nationalist
group to which her parents belonged.
In February 1965, when she was two years old, Shabazz was present, with her mother and sisters, at the assassination of her father. She says she has no memory of the event.
Shabazz had an apolitical upbringing in a racially integrated
neighborhood in Mount Vernon, New York
. Her family never took part in demonstrations or attended rallies. Together with her sisters, she joined Jack and Jill
, a social club for the children of well-off African Americans.
Concerning her father, Shabazz told an interviewer, "My mother always talked about our father, her husband, but ... she didn't talk about these things that defined my father as the icon." To learn about her father, Shabazz bought and read his autobiography
as a college student. She enrolled in a class to learn more about him.
. After high school, she attended State University of New York at New Paltz
. When she arrived, other African-American students expected her to be a firebrand. They had already elected her an officer of the Black Student Union.
After graduating, Shabazz earned a master's degree
from Fordham University
. As of 2007, she worked as Director of Public Affairs and Special Events for the city of Mount Vernon.
Shabazz wrote Growing Up X
, her memoir of her childhood and her personal views on her father, in 2002. A devout Muslim, she made the pilgrimage to Mecca
, the hajj, in 2006 as her father had in 1964 and her mother did in 1965.
In 2007, Shabazz was an advising scholar in the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentary Prince Among Slaves, produced by Unity Productions Foundation.
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
and Betty Shabazz
Betty Shabazz
Betty Shabazz , born Betty Dean Sanders and also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was the wife of Malcolm X....
. She is the author of a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, Growing Up X
Growing Up X
Growing Up X: A Memoir by the Daughter of Malcolm X is a 2002 book by Ilyasah Shabazz, the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Shabazz wrote the book with Kim McLarin....
, and a motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
.
Early life
Shabazz was born in QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on July 22, 1962. She was named after Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
, leader of the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
, the religious and Black nationalist
Black nationalism
Black nationalism advocates a racial definition of indigenous national identity, as opposed to multiculturalism. There are different indigenous nationalist philosophies but the principles of all African nationalist ideologies are unity, and self-determination or independence from European society...
group to which her parents belonged.
In February 1965, when she was two years old, Shabazz was present, with her mother and sisters, at the assassination of her father. She says she has no memory of the event.
Shabazz had an apolitical upbringing in a racially integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
neighborhood in Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
. Her family never took part in demonstrations or attended rallies. Together with her sisters, she joined Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill (organization)
Jack and Jill of America is an African American organization formed during the Great Depression. It was formed in 1938 by African American mothers with the idea of bringing together children in a social and cultural environment. Since then, it has evolved into one of the most well known women's...
, a social club for the children of well-off African Americans.
Concerning her father, Shabazz told an interviewer, "My mother always talked about our father, her husband, but ... she didn't talk about these things that defined my father as the icon." To learn about her father, Shabazz bought and read his autobiography
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X was published in 1965, the result of a collaboration between Malcolm X and journalist Alex Haley. Haley coauthored the autobiography based on a series of in-depth interviews he conducted between 1963 and Malcolm X's 1965 assassination...
as a college student. She enrolled in a class to learn more about him.
Education and career
Shabazz was a student at The Masters SchoolThe Masters School
The Masters School, known as "Masters", is a private, coeducational boarding school and day college preparatory school located in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Its campus is located near Manhattan in the Hudson Valley in Westchester County...
. After high school, she attended State University of New York at New Paltz
State University of New York at New Paltz
The State University of New York at New Paltz, known as SUNY New Paltz for short, is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It was founded in 1828 as the School for teaching of classics. In 1885, the New Paltz Normal and Training School was established as a school to prepare teachers for the...
. When she arrived, other African-American students expected her to be a firebrand. They had already elected her an officer of the Black Student Union.
After graduating, Shabazz earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
. As of 2007, she worked as Director of Public Affairs and Special Events for the city of Mount Vernon.
Shabazz wrote Growing Up X
Growing Up X
Growing Up X: A Memoir by the Daughter of Malcolm X is a 2002 book by Ilyasah Shabazz, the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Shabazz wrote the book with Kim McLarin....
, her memoir of her childhood and her personal views on her father, in 2002. A devout Muslim, she made the pilgrimage to Mecca
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
, the hajj, in 2006 as her father had in 1964 and her mother did in 1965.
In 2007, Shabazz was an advising scholar in the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentary Prince Among Slaves, produced by Unity Productions Foundation.