Malcolm X's children: How many children did he have and where are they now?
Famous African-American activist Malcolm Little is long gone, but his socio-political and socio-religious activism stands the test of time. Most of Malcolm X's children have chosen to walk in their father's shoes and make the most of the opportunity and experience this decision affords them.
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All of the children of Malcolm X are girls and are six in number. The last two, who are twins, were the only ones born after their father's death. The other ladies and their mother, Betty, were present when their father was assassinated while giving a speech in 1965. All the girls go by the last name, Shabazz, which is their mother's maiden name.
Malcolm X's children: where are they now?
Below is a personalised summary of each of the daughters born to Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X. The list is arranged in ascending order of their ages, so get to know who they are.
1. Attallah Shabazz
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Attallah is the eldest of Malcolm X's daughters and was born on the 16th of November, 1958, in Brooklyn, New York. She was six years old when her father was assassinated. Before the assassination, Attallah and the rest of the family vacated their residence after one of her younger sisters woke up at midnight and raised the alarm that the house was on fire.
Although she was six, Attallah still recalls the event of their father's death. However, she has held on to her father's beliefs and insists that her name has nothing to do with Attila the Hun. Instead, it symbolises the gift of God in Arabic.
Despite the controversies that followed her father until death, Attallah manages to live somewhat everyday life. She attended the same school like other kids and participated in social club events with her younger sisters.
Attallah is currently the Ambassador-at-large for Belize. She was appointed to this position by Prime Minister Said Musa in 2002. More so, the eldest Shabazz is an actress, author, spokeswoman, and activist.
2. Qubilah Shabazz
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Quibilah is the second child of Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X, who was born on the 25th of December, 1960. She was four years old at the time of her father's death and present at the time of the assassination.
In 1995, Quibilah was arrested for an attempted assassination of one of her father's greatest rivals, Louis Farrakhan. The man has consistently been accused of being responsible for Malcolm X's death in several quarters. However, the 60 years old was adamant about her innocence, and her family believed it was all a plot against them.
She was required to own up to the allegations in exchange for her freedom, although she had to endure two years in a psychiatric facility. But, unfortunately, things got worse for Qubilah after her 12 years old son, Malcolm Shabazz, was arrested and convicted of manslaughter after burning down the family house. The incident led to the death of his grandmother, Betty Shabaz.
3. Ilyasah Shabazz
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Ilyasah was born on the 22nd of July, 1962, in Brooklyn, New York, United States. She was a little over two years old when her father was shot 15 times while giving a speech at a gathering. Ilyasah is named after Elijah Muhammad, one of her father's heroes and mentors and leader of the Nation of Islam. However, she insists that she does not have any recollection of her father's assassination.
Ilyasah obtained her high school diploma from Hackley School before proceeding to the State University of New York at New Paltz. She was an officer of the Black Student Union. Besides, she also obtained a master's degree in Education and Human Resource Development at Fordham University.
Among Malcom X's daughters, the third child is a renowned professor, American author, social activist, community organiser, and motivational speaker.
4. Gamilah Lumumba Shabazz
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She is the fourth child of her parents and was born in 1964. Gamilah was a little over a year old when her father was assassinated. She was barely old enough to understand what was happening at the time. However, she was present alongside three of her sisters and their pregnant mother.
Gamilah teamed up with her older and younger siblings to create a fashion legacy in their late father's name. The sisters started a clothing line with an array of attire, ranging from hoodies to shirts and hats. The apparels usually carry the logo of Malcom X Legacy with inscriptions like "A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything" and "By any means necessary."
5. Malaak Shabazz
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Malaak is one of the twins known as Malcolm X's children today. She was born on the 30th of September, 1965, the same year her father was assassinated. Malaak is a lecturer and an American Human Rights activist.
Additionally, she works in several capacities with the United Nations and its non-profit organisations. She is 56 years old in 2021 and has not always been on good terms with her twin sister, who accused her of embezzling their late father's estates funds.
6. Malikah Shabazz
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This was the second of the twins, who were the last of Betty Shabazz's children. Malikah and her twin sister were born on the 30th of September 1965. She never met her father, who was gruesomely shot dead a few months before her birth.
Unlike the majority of her sisters, Malikah had her rough times against the law. She was named after her father and involved herself in some misdemeanours as her father did during his early life before he became reformed in prison.
In 2011, Malikah was apprehended for impersonating an older woman who was the widow of one of Malcolm X's bodyguards during his lifetime. Malikah defrauded the woman of an estimated $55,000, which she used to buy some things.
Eventually, she was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to a probationary jail time of five years. She was also mandated to refund every single cent she got from her criminal proceeds.
Again, in 2017, Malikah got into trouble with law enforcement after stealing and driving a U-Haul truck alongside her daughter, Bettih Shabazz. The two women got into bigger trouble after seven pit bulls were recovered from the truck they drove. The dogs were said to have been rescued from an inhuman condition with injuries to some of them.
Malikah and her accomplice were charged with theft and animal cruelty but were released on bail of $2,000.
What happened to Malikah?
On Monday, 23rd of November, 2021, the media was agog with news of Malikah's Shabazz death. However, her daughter found her in an unresponsive condition some minutes past 4:00 PM in her residence located at Midwood on East 28th Street.
Malikah was later pronounced dead, but officials said that a city examiner was at the scene and did not suspect any foul play in the death of the 56 years old.
Malikah's death came at a difficult time for the Shabazz family. A New York Supreme Court judge recently pronounced that two out of the three men convicted of murdering Malcolm X were innocent and free to walk.
Malcolm X's children have had their fair share of ups and downs, and like their father, they have treated these challenges the best way they can. The girls may be orphans, but they have each other to depend on, and now they have one of their sisters to bid farewell.
The demise of Malikah Shabazz, a twin among Malcolm X's children, came as a shock to most people in the world. As published on Yen.com.gh, she died around 4:00 PM in her residence.
However, who was she, and what was she known for before her death? The post discusses everything you should know about the late twin.
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