COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO The daughter of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X will speak at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Feb. 18 as part of the university’s commemoration of Black History Month.
Ilyasah Shabazz (ILL-YAH-SAH SHA-BOZZ), daughter of Malcom X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, will speak about the “Importance of Ethnic Presence in Higher Education,” beginning at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 18 at the Lodge on the CU-Colorado Springs campus. The event is free of charge. Seating is limited to the first 300 people. Hors d’oeuvres will be available. Parking and a shuttle bus to the event are free.
“Our organization thought this was a unique opportunity to further its mission of promoting inclusion and diversity with a speaker who emulates these qualities everyday.” Daryl Miller, interim coordinator, Campus Activities, said.
Ilyasah Shabazz, one of six daughters born to Malcolm X, was 2 when her father was assassinated in 1965. She has dedicated her life to the growth and understanding of her family’s legacy, education, government, and the enrichment and balance that entertainment provides.
Malcolm X was a leading figure of the 1960s American civil rights movement. Speaking with bitter eloquence against exploitation of black people, he had a large following. He rejected both integration and racial equality, calling instead for black separatism, black pride, and black self-dependence.
Ilyasah Shabazz currently leads a team of individuals to resurrect the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Educational and Cultural Center at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. Shabazz serves on the executive youth board for the City of Mount Vernon, N.Y., and is currently the director of public affairs and special events in Mount Vernon. She served as a member of the United States delegation, accompanying President Clinton on his historic tour of South Africa and was the assistant coordinator for the Office of Academic Affairs at City University of New York, where she organized training programs to encourage higher education for inner-city high school dropouts. Her special projects include lecture presentations, programs preserving the legacies of her parents, local arts productions, freelance writing, and an interactive youth publication, “The Way We Feel.”
She has both tutored and mentored at the New York State Division for Youth, Children’s Village, St. Cabrini Group Home, and the Big Brother/Big Sister Program. She earned a master’s in education & human resource development and a bachelor’s degree in biology.
In addition to her educational and philanthropic pursuits, Shabazz has also had a varied career in the entertainment industry. She served as vice president for SME Entertainment, director of operations for KEDAR Entertainment, coordinator of promotions & marketing for Pendulum Records, assistant music agent for William Morris Agency, a movie production assistant and has also hosted several radio and entertainment features.
The Campus Activities Board, Black Student Union, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and National Society of Black Engineers sponsor her appearance at CU-Colorado Springs.
CU-Colorado Springs, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 25 bachelor’s degrees, 17 master’s and two doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls more than 7,600 students annually.
Editor’s notes: A limited number of seats for members of the media will be reserved. Please call 262-3439 to reserve a space and parking. A photograph of Shabazz is available upon request.