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 was born on November 16, 1958. She is an American actress, writer, diplomat, and speaker who inspires others. She is also the oldest daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz.
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Attallah's Early Life
Attallah Shabazz was born in Brooklyn, New York. She says her name means "the gift of God" in Arabic. It is not from Attila the Hun, as some might think.
In February 1965, a fire broke out at her family's home. Attallah's sister, Qubilah, woke everyone up with her screams. Attallah remembered her father staying calm and getting everyone out safely.
A week later, Attallah was with her mother and sisters at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. Her father was assassinated there. She was six years old at the time. Attallah is reportedly the only one of her sisters who clearly remembers her father. She told a journalist in 2005 that she remembered that day "vividly."
Growing Up and School
Attallah Shabazz grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. Her neighborhood was racially mixed. Her family did not take part in protests or rallies. She went to religious classes at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York.
With her sisters, she joined Jack and Jill of America. This was a social club for children from well-known African American families. As a teenager, she attended the United Nations International School. After high school, she studied international law at Briarcliff College. However, the school closed before she finished 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 women were worried about meeting because of past disagreements between their fathers.
But they quickly found they liked each other. They were both in their early 20s and lived in New York City. They were also both hoping to become actresses. Their birthdays were only one day apart. They shared a positive outlook and an interest in helping others.
Soon after, King and Shabazz went on a speaking tour together. They also wrote a play for teenagers called Stepping into Tomorrow. The play explored challenges of growing up. It showed six friends meeting again at a high school reunion. Attallah said the play was meant to be "socially uplifting."
Stepping into Tomorrow led to a group called Nucleus. This 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 called Of One Mind. This play was about their fathers. Their teamwork lasted for about twelve years.
Attallah's Work and Life
In February 1992, Attallah Shabazz spoke at the funeral of her godfather, Alex Haley. Before he passed away, he asked her to write an introduction for The Autobiography of Malcolm X. This book was written by her father with Haley. A new edition of the book with Attallah's introduction was published in 1999.
In 1994, Attallah signed a contract to write her own life story. The book was called From Mine Eyes. A review in 1997 described it as a "powerful and uplifting story."
At her mother's funeral in June 1997, Attallah spoke for her family. She stood with her five sisters and remembered the love her parents shared. She imagined her father reaching out to her mother. Attallah then asked everyone to wish the person next to them "the best."
In May 2000, Attallah Shabazz and Louis Farrakhan were interviewed together on 60 Minutes. Farrakhan had been a follower of her father in the Nation of Islam. After Malcolm X left the Nation, Farrakhan became a strong critic. During the interview, Farrakhan said he "truly loved" Malcolm X. He also said he "may have been complicit in words that I spoke leading up to" the assassination. Attallah replied, "You can't keep pointing fingers. My father was not killed from a grassy knoll." After the interview, she thanked Farrakhan for "acknowledging his culpability."
In 2002, the Prime Minister of Belize, Said Musa, asked Attallah Shabazz to be an Ambassador-at-large. This role means she represents Belize around the world.
Attallah Shabazz spoke at the funeral of actor and activist Ossie Davis in February 2005. She also spoke at the funeral of Coretta Scott King in February 2006. She talked about the special bond her mother had with King. She also shared how King sent cards and gifts to her and her sisters on their birthdays.
In June 2016, Attallah Shabazz spoke at the funeral of boxer and activist Muhammad Ali. Ali had been inspired by her father to join the Nation of Islam. They became very close. Ali later left the Nation himself. He later said that turning his back on Malcolm was one of his biggest regrets. Ali and Attallah became friends during the making of the 2001 film Ali. Attallah was a consultant for the movie. At Ali's funeral, Attallah said that having him in her life "sustained my dad's breath for me just a little while longer."
Personal Life
Attallah Shabazz likes to keep her personal life private. In interviews, she usually does not answer questions about her age, where she lives, or her family. On November 20, 2021, Attallah became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
