Betty Shabazz

Activist and educator

• Born: May 28, 1936
• Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
• Died: June 23, 1997
• Place of death: Bronx, New York

Best known as the wife and widow of controversial leader Malcolm X, Shabazz led a multifaceted public life as a mother, activist, advocate for women’s and children’s rights, educator, civic leader, and custodian of her late husband’s legacy.

Early Life

Hajj Bahiyah Betty Shabazz (hahj bah-HEE-yah BEH-tee shuh-BAZ) was born on May 28, 1936, to unwed parents, Shelman Sandlin and Ollie Mae Sanders. Shabazz’s mother was accused of neglect and abuse, and at the age of one, Shabazz was placed in the custody of her paternal grandmother, Matilda Greene. Six years later, Matilda died and Shabazz was sent back to live with her mother temporarily.

At the age of eleven, Shabazz was adopted by Helen and Lorenzo Malloy, a upwardly mobile Detroit couple. As the Malloys’ daughter, Shabazz was immersed in their middle-class lifestyle, Christian ethics, and commitment to African American civic engagement. Taking cues from Helen, Shabazz became a junior member of the Detroit Housewives League and was surrounded by other women who were involved in black uplift organizations such as the National Council of Negro Women and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As a teenager, Shabazz also participated in the Del Sprites, an exclusive social club sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta sorority, of which she would later become a member.

In 1952, Shabazz graduated from Northern High and by the fall was enrolled as a freshman at Tuskegee Institute. Much to the chagrin of the Malloys, Shabazz left Tuskegee in 1953 and moved to New York. She enrolled at Brooklyn State College School of Nursing, where she earned her undergraduate degree three years later. After college, Shabazz remained in New York to pursue a career in nursing.

Life’s Work

At the invitation of a nurse’s aide, Shabazz attended a dinner hosted at Temple Seven, a Harlem mosque then led by the fiery Nation of Islam (NOI) minister Malcolm X. Skeptical of the NOI’s philosophy, Shabazz was not inclined to join upon her first acquaintance with its stalwart parishioners. Eventually, Shabazz began to embrace the NOI and was enamored of Malcolm and his powerful ministry. In 1956, Shabazz converted to Islam.

Shabazz’s work with black uplift organizations in Detroit and her undergraduate year in Alabama made her aware of the brutal realities of race relations in the United States. The NOI’s critique of white supremacy, however, endowed Shabazz with a fuller understanding of the systemic effects of racism. She developed an appreciation for the NOI’s emphasis on self-determination and nation building. Shabazz’s expertise as a nurse made her indispensable to Temple Seven. She taught classes on women’s health and hygiene and assisted with various other classes held weekly at the mosque.

On January 14, 1958, Shabazz and Malcolm married. As the NOI’s most visible and prominent leader, Malcolm spent most of their marriage traveling throughout the world, spreading the teachings of Islam and racial autonomy. During this time, Shabazz devoted most of her time to raising their four daughters, Attallah, Qubilah, Ilyasah, and Gamilah. She was pregnant with twin girls Malikah and Malaak when Malcolm was assassinated on February 21, 1965.

Being the widow of a martyr and the new demands of single parenthood consumed Shabazz’s attention and energy in the succeeding years. In 1965, Shabazz moved her family to a new home in the suburbs of Mount Vernon, New York. She worked diligently to ensure the welfare of her daughters. In those early years of widowhood, Shabazz channeled her grief into motherhood and volunteer work.

By the 1970’s, Shabazz had developed a reputation as a diplomat and intellectual. She traveled as an ambassador to five African nations under the auspices of an educational development initiative funded by a Rockefeller Foundation grant. In 1975, as part of her doctoral research, Shabazz traveled to Ethiopia to observe a session of the Organization of African Unity’s Council of Ministers. During the summer of 1975, Shabazz completed her dissertation, titled “Organization of African Unity: Its Role in Education,” and was conferred a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts—Amherst. Subsequently, she worked for many years as a professor and administrator at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York.

During the 1990’s, Shabazz’s efforts to sustain her late husband’s legacy culminated with the conceptualization of a memorial erected in the Audubon Ballroom, the site of his assassination. Her vision facilitated the creation of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in 2005.

In June, 1997, Shabazz sustained third-degree burns in a fire set by her troubled grandson. She died June 23 at the age of sixty-one.

Significance

Shabazz led a fruitful career as educator, activist, and public speaker. Her ability to appeal to people of diverse culture and the educated and unlettered alike made her a powerful force in movements for human rights and social justice.

Bibliography

Brown, Jamie Foster, ed. Betty Shabazz: A Sisterfriends’ Tribute in Words and Pictures. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998. This commemorative book includes personal essays and anecdotes written by friends and admirers of Shabazz.

Rickford, Russell J. Betty Shabazz: A Remarkable Story of Survival and Faith Before and After Malcolm X. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks, 2003. A thoughtful biography on the life and work of Shabazz, based on extensive interviews and meticulous research.

Shabazz, Ilyasah, with Kim McLarin. Growing Up X. New York: Ballantine, 2002. A coming-of-age narrative written from the perspective of one of Shabazz’s daughters. In many regards, this book is a tribute to Shabazz.