Malcolm X: A Guide : Betty Shabazz

Betty Shabazz (1934/1936 – 1997) born Betty Dean Sanders, was an American educator, civil rights advocate, and the widow of Malcolm X. Raised in Detroit by foster parents who shielded her from the realities of racism, she experienced its harshness firsthand while attending Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Disillusioned, she moved to New York City, where she trained as a nurse and, in 1956, joined the Nation of Islam after meeting Malcolm X. They married in 1958.

Following Malcolm X’s departure from the Nation of Islam in 1964, Shabazz supported his evolving political and ideological vision. She tragically witnessed his assassination in February 1965 and was left to raise their six daughters alone. The following month, in late March 1965, she made the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj), as her husband had the year before, deepening her spiritual connection to Islam. Determined to secure her family’s future, she pursued higher education, ultimately earning a doctorate in education.

In 1968, Shabazz became involved with the Republic of New Afrika, an organization advocating for Black self-determination and cooperative economics. At the Black Government Conference in Detroit, she was elected as the second vice president of the Republic’s provisional government.

In 1976, Shabazz joined Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York, as an associate professor of health sciences. She later transitioned into administrative roles, overseeing institutional advancement and public affairs. A committed leader in Black nationalist movements, she also formed close bonds with Myrlie Evers-Williams and Coretta Scott King, sharing the unique burden of being "Movement widows."

Her legacy is one of resilience, education, and advocacy. Shabazz dedicated her life to ensuring that her husband’s mission lived on while forging her own path as a scholar and activist. She passed away in 1997, leaving behind a lasting imprint on Black education and civil rights.