From Publishers Weekly
As much an exceptionally well-culled oral history of mid-century black radicalism as it is a sympathetic, evenhanded look at its subject, this first biography of Dr. Shabazz makes it compellingly clear that the widow of Malcolm X was an inspiring force in her own right. Rickford (Spoken Soul), a former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, writes in a straightforward reportorial style as concise and analytical as it is breezy and accessible. He draws together the multiple strands of Shabazz's life by quoting an impressive range of firsthand sources, both friendly and skeptical, and presenting their comments with a judicious disinterest that well serves his clear admiration of his subject. After a scattered childhood that landed her among loving foster parents in Detroit and a formative stint at Tuskegee Institute, the 23-year-old Betty Dean Sandlin, Brooklyn nursing student, married 32-year-old Nation of Islam minister Malcolm X in 1958, and lost him seven years later. The manner in which Rickford depicts Malcolm and Betty's finally very different forms of radicalism and faith is central to the book and ends up as a nuanced reckoning of black militancy's toll on its soldiers. The second half details Betty's years after Malcolm's murder, centered on her hard-won 1975 doctorate and professorship at CUNY's Medgar Evers College, but Malcolm haunts almost every page, up to Betty's tragic death in 1997 in a fire set by a grandson. Rickford's skeptical ear (" `When ya die, niggas lie on ya,' hissed one of my sources") keeps the book from tilting toward hagiography, and his inclusion of telling (and often funny) bits of urban myth, aphorism and domestic detail (Malcolm took coffee "integrated"-his word-with cream) give the narrative warmth and punch. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Just as the achievements of her husband, Malcolm X, were overshadowed by those of Martin Luther King Jr., Betty Shabazz's accomplishments have been overshadowed by those of King's widow. Rickford corrects that imbalance with this penetrating biography. Drawing on interviews with family, friends, and colleagues, as well as documentation from FBI, CIA, and police files, Rickford details Shabazz's early life; how she met, married, and lived with Malcolm; and how she made a life for herself after his assassination. Betty chafed at the role of quiet, patient, and obedient Muslim wife and mother. But she deeply loved her fiery, driven husband, reluctantly sharing him with first the Black Muslims and later the black nationalist movement. It took years after his death before she fully understood the scope of her husband's influence. By then she had transformed herself from Mrs. Malcolm to Dr. Shabazz, the protector of her husband's legacy. Rickford details her career as a civil rights leader, her valiant efforts to raise her six daughters alone, and the final tragedy that ended her life. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In a major publishing event, Sourcebooks is honored to present the first biography of Dr. Betty Shabazz, wife and widow of Malcolm X, and one of the greatest heroines of the Civil Rights era. From her early marriage to black liberation’s raging voice through her evolution into a powerful and outspoken African-American leader, Betty Shabazz is the story of an unsung woman who faced incredible tragedy and emerged triumphant, compassionate and always full of life.

To read Betty Shabazz is to experience a remarkable life. You are there as Malcolm X comes home from a hard day of railing against oppression to hug his children and laugh. You dive under the table as an assassin’s bullets strike down the Civil Rights movement’s most feared leader. You struggle with Betty Shabazz as she fights to raise six girls alone while earning a doctorate. You stand triumphant with her as she claims her own individuality and fights to build respect for Malcolm X.

SYNOPSIS

Betty Shabazz, the widow of civil rights leader Malcolm X, emerged as an important public figure in her own right in the years before her death in 1997. This biography, written by a former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, profiles her life before, during, and after her marriage to her more famous husband, exploring her efforts to move beyond the often extraordinary personal tragedy touching her and her family. The biography is introduced with a foreword by Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of another slain civil rights leader, Medgar Evers. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

The Washington Post

Rickford has crafted his book from the voluminous scholarship on Malcolm X, as well as from interviews with Shabazz family friends such as Maya Angelou, Dick Gregory, Percy Sutton, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Haki Madhubuti and Sonia Sanchez. The biography also includes reflections (used sparingly and to poignant effect) of some of the Shabazz daughters. Even though it is short on analysis of the complex psyche of women who have cast their lot with the Nation of Islam, Betty Shabazz is still a vital addition to the brooding and bloody Black Muslim saga. — Evelyn C. White

Publishers Weekly

As much an exceptionally well-culled oral history of mid-century black radicalism as it is a sympathetic, evenhanded look at its subject, this first biography of Dr. Shabazz makes it compellingly clear that the widow of Malcolm X was an inspiring force in her own right. Rickford (Spoken Soul), a former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, writes in a straightforward reportorial style as concise and analytical as it is breezy and accessible. He draws together the multiple strands of Shabazz's life by quoting an impressive range of firsthand sources, both friendly and skeptical, and presenting their comments with a judicious disinterest that well serves his clear admiration of his subject. After a scattered childhood that landed her among loving foster parents in Detroit and a formative stint at Tuskegee Institute, the 23-year-old Betty Dean Sandlin, Brooklyn nursing student, married 32-year-old Nation of Islam minister Malcolm X in 1958, and lost him seven years later. The manner in which Rickford depicts Malcolm and Betty's finally very different forms of radicalism and faith is central to the book and ends up as a nuanced reckoning of black militancy's toll on its soldiers. The second half details Betty's years after Malcolm's murder, centered on her hard-won 1975 doctorate and professorship at CUNY's Medgar Evers College, but Malcolm haunts almost every page, up to Betty's tragic death in 1997 in a fire set by a grandson. Rickford's skeptical ear (" `When ya die, niggas lie on ya,' hissed one of my sources") keeps the book from tilting toward hagiography, and his inclusion of telling (and often funny) bits of urban myth, aphorism and domestic detail (Malcolm took coffee "integrated"-his word-with cream) give the narrative warmth and punch. (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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