Ilyasah Shabazz

 In 1964 my father said, “Education is an important element in the struggle for human rights. It is the means to help our children and our people rediscover their identity and thereby increase self respect. Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today, ” which is the foundation of my work. 

“Growing up, I remember a statue in our house, probably about six feet tall. Beautifully carved, it depicted a woman with a basket on her head, walking hand in hand with a child. Seamlessly multi-tasking, she was carrying, caring, and moving forward. My mother made sure her six daughters knew about the contributions women, Islam, and the African Diaspora made to the world. We lived in a household with an instinctive educational curriculum. It wasn’t overt or formal, but rather a continuous flow of love, knowledge and historical accuracy of the indigenous people of the world. Because of these teachings, my mother ensured my five sisters and I had a solid sense of ourselves. We loved ourselves.”

Ilyasah Shabazz is an award-winning author, producer, educator and public speaker. She is an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and at SUNY in New Paltz, NY where she emphasizes empowerment and inclusion in her pedagogy. She also works tirelessly to preserve her parents’ legacies for future generations through The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center.