How many children did Malcolm X have? Youngest twin daughter Malikah Shabazz found dead in Brooklyn home

Malcolm X’s youngest twin daughter Malikah Shabazz was reportedly found dead in her Brooklyn apartment on Monday, 22 November 2021. She was just 56 at the time of her passing.

Her body was reportedly discovered by her daughter but no cause of death has been revealed so far. The New York Police Department told NBC that she was found “unconscious and unresponsive” at her home around 4:30 pm local time.

Meanwhile, the coroner’s office conducted an examination and confirmed that the incident was “not suspicious.” Malcolm X shared six children with his wife, Betty X. Malikah and her twin sister Malaak were born after the human rights activist died in 1965.

The news of Malikah’s death came just a few days after two men accused of being involved in the assassination of Malcolm X were exonerated after serving over two decades in prison.

The court dismissed charges of first-degree murder against Muhammad A. Aziz, an 83-year-old man living in Brooklyn, and Khalil Islam, who died in 2009, after nearly two years of investigation.

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All about Malcolm X’s marriage and six children

Malcolm X shared six daughters with wife Betty X (Image via Getty Images/Bettmann)

Malcolm X met Betty Sanders in 1955 after one of his lectures and the latter started joining the activist on his social events. She joined the Nation of Islam in 1956 and changed her name to Betty X.

The late civil rights activist reportedly proposed to Betty over the phone in 1958, and the pair tied the knot two days later. The couple shared six daughters together, Attallah, Qubilah, Ilyasah, Gamilah, and twins Malikah and Malaak.

Attallah Shabazz was born in 1958 and is the eldest daughter of Malcolm X. She was just six years old when she witnessed her father’s assassination on 2 February 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. She is the only Shabazz sibling with clear memories of their father’s tragic death.

The 62-year-old is now an actress, diplomat, author and motivational speaker. She reportedly graduated from the United Nations International School at 17 and attended Briarcliff College for a major in international law with a minor in English.

She was appointed Ambassador-at-large of Belize in 2002. She also collaborated with Yolanda King and co-founded Nucleus, a theatre troupe based in L.A. and New York. She also founded the Pilgrimage Foundation in honor of her late father’s spiritual journey.

Malcolm and Betty’s second child Qubilah Shabazz was born in 1960 and was just four years old at the time of her father’s death. She studied at United Nations International School in Manhattan and also attended a Quaker-led camp in Vermont.

In 1995, the 60-year-old was arrested for plotting the murder of the then Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan. For several years Qubilah and her mother believed that Farrakhan was responsible for the death of Malcolm X.

Although Qubilah’s family continued to pledge her innocence, she later agreed to a plea deal and took responsibility for her involvement. The agreement allowed her to escape possible prison time in exchange for two years of psychological counseling, a drug dependency program and refraining from contending about government entrapment.

However, tragic incidents continued to take place in Qubilah’s life. In 1997, her 12-year-old son Malcolm Shabazz (named after his grandfather) was accused of allegedly setting his grandmother’s Bronx apartment on fire.

Betty X suffered third-degree burns and succumbed to her injuries, passing away less than a month after the incident. Malcolm Shabazz underwent juvenile detention on charges of arson and manslaughter. The latter also tragically passed away at the age of 28 after a bar fight and beating incident in Mexico City.

Ilyasah Shabazz is the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty, born in 1962. She is an author, social activist, community organizer and motivational speaker. She is best known for her memoir Growing Up X and book Betty Before X.

The 59-year-old serves as a professor of cultural pluralism at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She was previously a member of the US Interfaith Leadership Delegation to Mali with Malaria No More. She also served as a member of the US Delegation accompanying former President Bill Clinton to South Africa for the commemoration of the election of President Nelson Mandela.

According to Ilyasah’s website, she wishes to empower future generations by promoting higher education for at-risk youth and creating interfaith dialogue to develop a bridge between cultures especially for young leaders of the world.

Malcolm X and Betty’s fourth child, Gamilah Shabazz, was born in 1964, just a year before her father’s untimely demise. Not much is known about Gamilah, but she continues to accompany her sisters in their fight to uncover the truth behind their father’s assassination.

She also helped her sisters to create the Malcolm X Legacy clothing line consisting of T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats printed with slogans like “By any means necessary” and “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything”.

Betty gave birth to her youngest children Malikah and Malaak in 1965 shortly after their father’s death. She was pregnant with the twins when Malcolm X was murdered. Malaak Shabazz is a human rights activist.

Malaak spoke to France 24 about her father’s legacy in 2015:

"My father wore his religion in his back pocket. He didn’t push that on anyone. He was very much a Muslim, but he was also black. [In the United States], that meant something. Frankly, I don’t think things would be this bad if he was still alive. It was his passion to make sure injustice was heard."

Meanwhile, Malaak’s twin Malikah Shabaaz faced legal troubles throughout her life. In 2011, she was charged with fraud and identity theft for stealing $55,000 by faking the identity of Khaula Bakrof, the widow of Malcolm X’s friend and bodyguard.

She was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to repay the full amount as part of the deal. In 2017, she was arrested once again along with her daughter for stealing a rental truck. She was also charged with animal cruelty after officials found eight pit bulls in a debilitated state at her home.

Malikah also allegedly fought with her sisters over their mother’s estates. She passed away on November 22 in her apartment.