Growing Up X

A Memoir by the Daughter of Malcolm X

By: Ilyasah Shabazz

Narrated by: Ilyasah Shabazz

February 21, 1965: Malcolm X is assassinated in Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom.

June 23, 1997: After surviving for a remarkable 22 days, his widow, Betty Shabazz, dies of burns suffered in a fire.

In the years between, their six daughters reach adulthood, forged by the memory of their parents’ love, the meaning of their cause, and the power of their faith. Now, at long last, one of them has recorded that tumultuous journey in an unforgettable memoir: Growing Up X.

Born in 1962, Ilyasah was the middle child, a rambunctious live wire who fought for - and won - attention in an all-female household. She carried on the legacy of a renowned father and indomitable mother while navigating childhood and, along the way, learning to do the hustle. She was a different color from other kids at camp and yet, years later as a young woman, was not radical enough for her college classmates. Her story is, sbove all else, a tribute to a mother of almost unimaginable forbearance, a woman who, “from that day at the Audubon when she heard the shots and threw her body on [ours, never] stopped shielding her children.”

©2002 Ilyasah Shabazz (P)2020 Audible, Inc.

Superbably Read

Loved the powerful messages and soothing narration. Recommended read aquainting the reader with The Man

allahu ahkbar!

great book by my hero el Haj Malik al Shabazz 👏 very interesting book! Malcom is proud in heaven!

Grace

It’s clear that this woman loved her mother and her sisters, the fire trauma that this whole family has endured, even when Malcolm X was a child, then ending with his wife is heart stopping, and while I’m a spirit filled Christian, this family has touched my heart despite our differences about God. I thought she spoke of her older sisters troubles with so much grace….I thought that was really special.

Anything about MalcolmX and his family.

fantastic! I just love learning about this magnificent family. We all should learn more about this amazing family

Really understanding what the family had to go through after what happened

This book was such an eye-opener. It really made me feel like I got a true inside. Look of Malcolm’s family not just what he stood for, and how his wife stood strong to make sure her children was truly protected.