On This Day in 1934: Betty Shabazz Born in Detroit

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Betty Shabazz, wife of the late Black Muslim Leader, Malcolm X shown in 1972. (AP Photo)
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(AURN News) — On May 28, 1934, Betty Shabazz was born in Detroit. Born Betty Dean Sanders, she became a civil rights activist, educator and the wife of Malcolm X.

After attending services led by Malcolm X at a Nation of Islam temple in Harlem, she converted to Islam in 1956 and adopted the surname X to honor her African ancestry. The two married in 1958 and had six daughters.

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, center, makes his way through a group of reporters and onlookers as he arrives for the funeral of Betty Shabazz at the Islamic Cutural Center of New York Mosque, Friday, June 27, 1997. (AP Photo/Adam Nadel)

In 1964, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam, and the family adopted the surname Shabazz. Following Malcolm X’s assassination in 1965, Betty Shabazz stepped away from the spotlight to raise her children, but she continued her work in civil rights, education and community advocacy.

Shabazz earned a doctorate in education, taught at Medgar Evers College and continued speaking nationally on issues affecting Black communities and social justice.

Betty Shabazz died in 1997 at age 63 from burns suffered in a fire set by her grandson.

Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane

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