Malcolm X’s Wife – Betty Shabazz
Betty Shabazz (also known as Betty Dean Sanders or Betty X) was the better half of Malcolm X. Shabazz was born on 28th May 1934. She was brought up in...
Malcolm X’s wife was Betty Shabazz, also known as Betty X.
Betty Shabazz was born on May 28, 1934, in Detroit, Michigan, as Betty Dean Sanders. She was raised by her adoptive parents after her birth mother was institutionalized.
Betty met Malcolm X in 1955 at a Nation of Islam lecture in Harlem. They married on January 14, 1958.
Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz had six daughters: Attallah (1958), named after Attila the Hun; Qubilah (1960), named after Kublai Khan; Ilyasah (1962), named after Elijah Muhammad; Gamilah Lumumba (1964), named after Patrice Lumumba; and twins Malikah and Malaak (1965), named in honor of their father and born after his assassination.
After the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, Betty Shabazz was left to raise their six children on her own. She faced significant challenges but worked hard to provide for her family, eventually earning a doctorate degree and becoming an educator and administrator at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York.
Betty Shabazz continued to be an influential voice for civil rights and black empowerment after her husband’s death. She also worked to preserve the legacy of Malcolm X for future generations.
Tragically, Betty Shabazz died on June 23, 1997, due to burns sustained in a fire set by her grandson. She was 63 years old. She was survived by her six daughters
Betty Shabazz (also known as Betty Dean Sanders or Betty X) was the better half of Malcolm X. Shabazz was born on 28th May 1934. She was brought up in...