Ilyasah Shabazz
Daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, Author, Educator, Scholar & Producer
Ilyasah Shabazz
Daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, Author, Educator, Scholar & Producer
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Biography
Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz is an award-winning author, educator, scholar, and producer whose work examines history, identity, faith, social justice, and the responsibilities of leadership across generations. The daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, she has devoted much of her professional life to preserving and advancing her parents’ intellectual and humanitarian legacies while creating educational frameworks that encourage critical inquiry, civic responsibility, and human dignity.
Dr. Shabazz is the author of six books exploring history, identity, and the transformative dimensions of her father’s life and thought. Her most recent work, Malcolm in the Desert: Wisdom from the Spiritual Transformation of Malcolm X, examines Malcolm X’s 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca and travels throughout Africa and the Middle East, illuminating the spiritual and intellectual evolution that broadened his understanding of faith, human rights, and our shared humanity. Her other works include Growing Up X, Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X, and The Awakening of Malcolm X.
Her scholarship extends across literature, education, film, and public history. She served as a project advisor for the PBS award-winning documentary Prince Among Slaves and is developing screen projects drawn from her published works. Through these endeavors, she approaches storytelling not simply as historical preservation, but as a means of connecting the lessons of history to the ethical questions confronting contemporary society.
As Board Chair of The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, located at the historic Audubon Ballroom in New York City, Dr. Shabazz provides leadership to an institution dedicated to education, culture, human rights, and the enduring legacies of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz. Her work emphasizes institution-building, intergenerational leadership, accessibility, fairness, belonging, and self-determination.
Education remains central to her public service. At the City University of New York’s Office of Academic Affairs, Dr. Shabazz developed curriculum designed to expand pathways to higher education for underserved and historically marginalized students. She has also created youth-development initiatives using history and social justice education to cultivate personal agency, civic engagement, and responsible leadership.
Dr. Shabazz currently serves as an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she teaches The Malcolm X Seminar, engaging students in rigorous examination of Malcolm X’s life, intellectual development, political thought, spiritual transformation, and contributions to global human-rights discourse. She previously served as Worcester State University’s inaugural Human Rights & Social Impact Fellow, where she developed and taught We the People, examining citizenship, human rights, social responsibility, and democratic participation.
Her public service has also included serving as Director of Public Affairs and Special Events for the Office of the Mayor in Mount Vernon, New York, and contributing leadership to cultural, educational, and civic institutions. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and has served as a trustee of the Harlem Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Shabazz earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a Master of Science in Education and Human Resource Development from Fordham University. In recognition of her contributions to public service, education, and the arts, Worcester State University conferred upon her the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
Across her scholarship, teaching, writing, and institutional leadership, Dr. Shabazz advances a conviction inherited from her parents: that education must do more than transmit knowledge—it must deepen consciousness, strengthen moral responsibility, and prepare individuals to participate meaningfully in the world. Her work invites new generations not simply to study history, but to understand their place within it and their responsibility for what comes next.
Speaker Videos
Sizzle Reel
Social Justice Speaker Series Recap: Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz
Embracing Your Legacy
Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz Discusses Her Father - 4th Annual Malcolm X Muslim Studies Community Forum
Black History Month Keynote Clip | Roosevelt University
2014 National Book Festival | Library of Congress
Remembering Malcolm X
On Islamophobia and Xenophobia
I Am a Reflection of You And You Are a Reflection of Me
Speech Topics
Malcolm X Shabazz: The Legacy of My Father
Ilyasah Shabazz offers a deeply personal reflection on the life, teachings, and enduring legacy of her father, Malcolm X. Just two years old when he was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom, Shabazz grew up understanding her father not only as a historic figure, but through the values, stories, and lessons preserved within her family. She explores his commitment to self-respect, education, responsibility, and justice while revealing the humanity behind one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. Through her perspective as his daughter, Shabazz connects Malcolm X’s message to contemporary conversations about identity, community, and social change. This powerful program challenges audiences to look beyond the history books and consider how his legacy continues to inspire individuals to recognize their own power and responsibility to create change.
Audiences will learn:
Personal insights into Malcolm X as a father, leader, and advocate for human dignity.
How his teachings on self-respect, education, responsibility, and justice remain relevant today.
Ways individuals can carry his legacy forward through leadership, service, and meaningful change.
Dr. Betty Shabazz: I'm a Survivor
The story of Dr. Betty Shabazz is one of extraordinary resilience, determination, and purpose. Ilyasah Shabazz shares the powerful lessons she learned from her mother, who raised six daughters following the assassination of Malcolm X while building a distinguished life of her own as an educator, advocate, and leader. Through intimate stories and personal reflections, Shabazz reveals how her mother transformed profound loss into a lifelong commitment to education, family, community, and service. She explores the strength it takes not simply to endure adversity, but to move forward with purpose and create opportunities for others along the way. Dr. Betty Shabazz’s journey offers audiences an inspiring reminder that survival can become a foundation for leadership, growth, and lasting impact.
Audiences will learn:
How Dr. Betty Shabazz transformed personal tragedy into a life defined by education, leadership, and service.
Lessons about resilience, perseverance, and finding purpose through adversity.
How individuals can draw upon their own experiences to strengthen their communities and create positive change.
From Legacy to Leadership: Empowering the Next Generation
The values we pass to young people today will shape the communities they lead tomorrow. Ilyasah Shabazz reflects on the lessons she learned growing up as the daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz and how those principles continue to guide her work as an author, educator, and community leader. Raised with a deep belief in education, personal responsibility, and positivity, Ilyasah shares how adults can help young people develop confidence, character, and a sense of purpose. Through personal stories and practical insight, she encourages students, educators, parents, and communities to recognize the influence they have on the next generation. This uplifting keynote is a call to create the conditions in which young people can grow into thoughtful leaders, engaged citizens, and changemakers.
Audiences will learn:
How education, positivity, and strong values help shape future leaders
Why adults play a critical role in modeling character and integrity
How young people and communities can turn inspiration into meaningful action
Rooted in You: Leadership that Lasts
Leadership that lasts begins long before anyone else recognizes you as a leader. Ilyasah Shabazz explores how self-awareness, purpose, and a strong sense of personal values create the foundation for meaningful leadership. Drawing from the principles instilled in her by her parents, Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, Ilyasah reflects on how self-worth, accountability, and service have shaped her own approach to creating impact. She shows how leaders who understand what they stand for are better equipped to build trust, navigate change, and contribute to healthier workplace cultures. This empowering keynote challenges professionals to strengthen themselves from within so they can lead their teams, organizations, and communities with greater integrity and compassion. READ MORE
Audiences will learn:
How self-awareness and core values shape authentic leadership
Why purpose and accountability strengthen workplace culture
How leading from within can create greater impact across teams and organizations
Malcolm in the Desert: Inner Transformation in a Changing World
In this thought-provoking keynote, Ilyasah Shabazz draws from her book Malcolm in the Desert to explore how the teachings of her father, Malcolm X, offer guidance for navigating a fast-moving and often divided world. Blending personal reflection with Malcolm X’s writings and insights, Shabazz invites audiences to embark on their own journey of self-examination and growth. She reframes her father’s legacy not only as a story of public activism but also as a deeply personal example of inner transformation and moral courage. Through powerful storytelling and practical wisdom, Shabazz challenges audiences to recognize that meaningful change in the world begins with personal reflection, responsibility, and purpose.
Audiences will learn:
How Malcolm X’s teachings offer timeless guidance for navigating change, conflict, and uncertainty.
Why personal reflection and inner transformation are essential to meaningful leadership and social progress.
How individuals can become active participants in building a more just and compassionate world.
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