Attallah Shabazz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Attallah Shabazz
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Shabazz in 1983
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| Born | November 16, 1958 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Briarcliff College |
| Parent(s) | Malcolm X Betty Shabazz |
| Ambassador-at-large of Belize | |
| Assumed office 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Said Musa Dean Barrow Johnny Briceño |
| Preceded by | Position established |
Attallah Shabazz (born November 16, 1958) is an American actress, author, and diplomat. She is also a motivational speaker. She is the oldest daughter of famous civil rights leader Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Attallah Shabazz was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 16, 1958. Her name, Attallah, means "the gift of God" in Arabic. She has said that her father's autobiography was mistaken when it said she was named after Attila the Hun.
In February 1965, a fire broke out at her family's home. Attallah was woken up by her sister's screams. She remembered her father staying calm and getting everyone out safely.
Just one week later, a very sad event happened. Attallah, her mother, and her sisters were at the Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom. Her father, Malcolm X, was giving a speech when he was killed. Attallah was only six years old at the time. She is the only one of his children who clearly remembers him.
In 2005, she shared that she remembered that day "vividly." She recalled her father calling her mother to invite them to the event. She also remembered that her mother was pregnant with her twin sisters at the time.
Growing Up and School
Attallah Shabazz grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. Her neighborhood was diverse, with people of different backgrounds living together. Her family did not usually take part in protests or rallies.
She received religious lessons at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York. She and her sisters also joined Jack and Jill of America. This was a social club for children from well-known African American families.
As a teenager, she went to the United Nations International School. She later studied international law at Briarcliff College. However, the college closed before she could finish her degree.
Working with Yolanda King
In 1979, a photographer brought Attallah Shabazz together with Yolanda King. Yolanda was the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Both young women were a bit worried about meeting. This was because their fathers had different ideas about how to achieve civil rights.
But they quickly found out they liked each other. They had many things in common. They both lived in New York City and wanted to be actresses. Their birthdays were even just one day apart.
Soon, King and Shabazz started giving talks together. They also wrote a play for teenagers called Stepping into Tomorrow. The play talked about the challenges of growing up. It showed six friends meeting again ten years after high school.
This play became the start of a group called Nucleus. It was an eight-member theater group. They performed in about 50 cities each year. In 1983, Ebony magazine named Shabazz and King among its "Fifty Young Leaders of the Future."
In the mid-1980s, they wrote another play, Of One Mind. This play imagined what history might have been like if their fathers had not been killed. Their partnership lasted for about twelve years.
Later Life and Work
In February 1992, Attallah Shabazz spoke at the funeral of her godfather, Alex Haley. He was the author who helped her father write The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Before he passed away, Haley asked her to write a new introduction for the book. This new edition came out in 1999.
Shabazz also signed a contract in 1994 to write her own life story. The book was called From Mine Eyes. It was described as a powerful story of a young girl. It showed how she grew up during the civil rights movement.
In June 1997, Attallah spoke at her mother's funeral. She stood with her five sisters. She talked about the loving relationship her parents had. She also asked everyone there to wish the person next to them "the best."
In May 2000, Attallah Shabazz had a joint interview with Louis Farrakhan on 60 Minutes. Farrakhan had been a follower of her father in the Nation of Islam. After her father left the Nation, Farrakhan became a strong critic. During the interview, Farrakhan said he "truly loved" Malcolm X. He also said he regretted any words he spoke that might have led to the assassination.
In 2002, the Prime Minister of Belize, Said Musa, asked Shabazz to become an Ambassador-at-large for Belize. This means she represents Belize around the world.
Attallah Shabazz has also spoken at the funerals of other important figures. She spoke at the funeral of actor and activist Ossie Davis in 2005. She thanked him and his wife, Ruby Dee, for their support.
In 2006, she spoke at the funeral of Coretta Scott King. She talked about the special bond her mother had with King. She also shared how King continued to send her and her sisters birthday cards even after her mother's death.
In June 2016, Shabazz spoke at the funeral of the famous boxer and activist Muhammad Ali. Ali had been inspired by her father early in his life. Although they had a difficult period, Ali later regretted turning his back on Malcolm X. Attallah Shabazz and Ali became close during the making of the 2001 film Ali. At his funeral, she said that having Ali in her life helped keep her father's spirit alive for her.
Personal Life
Attallah Shabazz likes to keep her personal life private. She usually does not share details about her age, where she lives, or her family status in interviews. On November 20, 2021, she became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
