A conversation with Ilyasah Shabazz, professor, author and daughter of Malcolm X

FIU's 32^nd annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration, a monthlong series of festivities, kicked off today with a breakfast featuring Ilyasah Shabazz – professor, author and daughter of Malcolm X – as the 2023 Dotson Family MLK Keynote Speaker.

This year's celebration highlights the theme "Daring to Dream: the Radical Imagination of a New Generation" and features signature events throughout January, including the MLK Day of Service, Robert M. Coatie Youth Forum and Peace Walk, Liberty City MLK Parade, Black Student Union MLK Dinner, an exhibition at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum, and more. 

Shabazz has authored five books and served as project advisor for the award-winning PBS documentary, “Prince Among Slaves.” She is also co-chairperson of the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. In her work to preserve the legacy of her parents, she has dedicated herself to institution building and intergenerational leadership development with the tenants of diversity, equity and inclusion. She is also a member of the boards of multiple education and service organizations.

Members of the MLK celebration committee posed the following questions to Shabazz prior to her campus visit:

Q: Beyond your biography, what are some things that make you you?

A: I love to read, write, take walks, and be outside. I am a big believer that we need to fuel ourselves with goodness and love in order to continue to do work like my father and MLK.

Q: The theme for the 32^nd annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration is “Daring to Dream: The Radical Imagination of a New Generation.” How do you think we can actualize and establish a call to action around this theme?

A: The new generation, a.k.a. the younger generation, must take ownership and responsibility for their lives and the greater good; identity, purpose, and legacy are interconnected. I think it’s crucial to find your voice—to know the love of who you are at your core, so you do not look to others for validation of your worth, and then to find your purpose for both self and others, grounded with a focus on improvement and change ultimately for the collective us. This is what life symbolizes. Recognizing these lessons allows for a more fulfilling life rather than having epiphanies when we or our loved ones fall ill.

Q: As FIU celebrates Dr. King’s life and legacy, what are some discussions you believe he would most want us to have?

A: With all due respect, in my opinion, I can only imagine that he might want us to emphasize the equality of humanity and further highlight that the inequality of wealth is creating a permanent underclass. It is remarkable that despite all the scientific advancements, first world nations as the extension of all humanity, many nations and communities still do not have access to clean water (i.e., Flint, Michigan; NYC; and sub-Saharan Africa). As we continue to honor the momentousness of his legacy, it is critical to understand the work that remains and how we can inspire people to continue to live their lives in a way that pushes forward with Dr. King’s vision.

Q: What is a quality about Dr. King that guides you in your social justice and advocacy work?

A: Amidst grave injustices, Dr. King said, “I have decided to stick with love; hate is too great a burden to bear.” A quality about Dr. King, and my parents, that resonates with me today is the instinct to love. Having witnessed significant loss, it would be easy to give in to victimization and resentment. The values, however, instilled in me by my parents enable me to lead with love. Love does not diminish loss or minimize injustice; love transcends man-made boundaries and fuels a commitment to do this necessary work. It’s about embodying the belief that “none of us are free until all of us are free.”

Q: How do the challenges facing traditionally marginalized or underrepresented people today look different than in prior generations? How should this difference be addressed?

A: Citizens of the world recognize, as my father said, that "those in power have misused it" and are demanding change, rolling up their sleeves, and willing to do the necessary systemic work themselves. This generation realizes we need people in positions of power willing and able to accomplish the goals of "all" instead of the goal of "one." Sadly, there are entire populations marginalized and locked out of prosperity, unable to lead dignified lives based on systemic historical “hogwash”—a false systemic imposition of inferiority and superiority complexes. While these past years have made us aware of our collective wounds, we must reform the unjust, separate sets of rules under which America (and the world) operates. America’s truth and its history must be taught to these new generations of students with textbooks that teach every child that Black history is American history—and that American history also includes Hispanic, Native American, and Asian history. Our students deserve a fully comprehensive curriculum that does not falsely glorify one and ridicule/pigeonhole others. There is no American history unless every voice is heard on the pages of our textbooks. It is the beauty of our country—out of many, one!

Q: Your biography states that you are grounded in the commitments of your parents. Please expound upon some of the specific commitments and how you implement them in your current work.

A: In the 1950s, when young people marched, protested, and organized for equal access to education, housing, employment, and others, my father said, "We demand our human rights as your brother, ...as ordained by God." My father was ultimately led by his service to God. He recognized ill will and systemic practice against one is against all human beings across the globe. Hence, he sought solutions to restoring the true origin history and empowerment of first world nations relative to the urgency for this generation of critical thinkers to do the necessary work. I learned most about my father's humanity through my mother, Dr. Betty Shabazz, who was an exemplary model of a victimless mentality. Whether Malcolm was my father or not, it is his principled work that guides me in my everyday efforts, and I tribute to my mother for that.