Malikah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X, has died
By Joe Sutton, CNN
A daughter of slain Black civil rights activist Malcolm X, Malikah Shabazz, died Monday, the New York Police Department told CNN.
Shabazz, 56, was found unconscious by her daughter at her home in Brooklyn, according to the NYPD. Police said the death appeared to be due to natural causes.
The “cause of death is pending the final results of additional testing, but the death does not appear to be suspicious following initial review,” a spokesperson for New York City’s chief medical examiner’s office, Julie Bolcer, said.
Shabazz is the youngest of Malcolm X’s six daughters. She is survived by her daughter Bettih-Bahiyah and her five sisters.
A memorial celebration of her life will be held “in the coming weeks,” the family said in a statement on Facebook.
“In this time of deep sadness from the loss of our beloved Baby sister, Malikah Saban Shabazz, our family extends heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of kindness we have received from so many well-wishers around the world. We ask for your continued prayers and warm thoughts as we grieve.”
Bernice King, a daughter of the late Martin Luther King Jr., offered her 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
Malcolm X was one of the most powerful voices in the fight against racism before his shooting death in New York in 1965.
He remains a symbol of inspiration for Black men and others moved by his transformation from a street hustler to a historic figure the late African-American actor Ossie Davis eulogized as “our own black shining prince.”
The assassination came after a public feud between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam’s founder, Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X had accused Muhammad of infidelity and left the Nation in March of 1964.
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.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also offered his condolences Tuesday for the death of Shabazz.
“This family has been through hell over and over again. … I’m so sorry for (what) they’re going through right now,” de Blasio said.
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CNN’s Christina Carrega, Mirna Alsharif and Laura Ly contributed to this report.
