Malcolm X’s Daughter, Malikah Shabazz, Is Gone; Dies at 56

Malikah Shabazz

By: Dennis Richmond, Jr.

Malikah Shabazz, 56, was found dead in her Brooklyn residence yesterday. Shabazz was the daughter of the iconic human rights activist el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, famously known as Malcolm X. Her mother, the late Dr. Betty Shabazz, used to call Yonkers home.

Police said the death appears to be due to natural causes at this time. This tragedy occurred less than one week after Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam came home from prison. The two men are home after being locked up for the murder of Malcolm X. The men can thank Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance, Jr.

His office found that Aziz and Islam did not receive a fair trial. The District Attorney also discovered that the FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, withheld evidence during the trial. This evidence would have proved their innocence.

Bernice King is the daughter of the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. King tweeted about the death of Malikah. “I’m deeply saddened by the death of #MalikahShabazz,” she said. “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.”