It is with a solemn heart that we share news of the passing of Malikah Shabazz, who was found unconscious by her daughter last night (Nov. 22).
Along with her twin sister, she was the youngest daughter of slain Black human rights activist Malcolm X. Her death, according to the NYPD, appears to be due to natural causes at this time.
An outpouring of love and support, most notably from Bernice King, a daughter of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has come out in the form of condolences.
“I’m deeply saddened by the death of #MalikahShabazz. My heart goes out to her family, the descendants of Dr. Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X. Dr. Shabazz was pregnant with Malikah and her twin sister, Malaak when Brother Malcolm was assassinated. Be at peace, Malikah,” King said on Twitter.
Her father was one of the most powerful voices in the fight against systemic racism, police brutality, and the abuse of Black and oppressed people before his assassination in New York in 1965.
His work as part of the Nation of Islam, and as a speaker and advocate for Black people, remains a continued source of inspiration for Black men and others moved by his transformation from a street hustler to, as the late Ossie Davis eulogized, “our own Black shining prince.”
Adopting the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, his assassination came after a public feud between himself and the Nation of Islam’s founder, Elijah Muhammad, and it greatly impacted the Black community after both of their passings.
Last Thursday, two men convicted of the assassination were exonerated during a court hearing.
New York County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Ellen Biben granted the motion to vacate the convictions of Muhammad A. Aziz and the late Khalil Islam.
Essence and its staff send our condolences to the Shabazz family.