'Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali: Who are Malcolm X's children?
Malcolm X, the iconic African-American political activist is all set to make an appearance from the great beyond in Netflix's 'Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali'. The documentary traces the three-year friendship and the murky strain that followed over their clash on the leadership of the Nation of Islam (NOI). Both historical figures have been garnering attention ever since the streaming network released the trailer of the documentary.
The documentary will be featuring Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, Muhammad Ali’s brother Rahman and daughters Maryum and Hana — and cultural luminaries such as Cornel West and Al Sharpton as well as footage that shows the duo's friendship. If the life of Malcolm X was an interesting study, the aftermath of his assassination in 1965 was an equally interesting one with his daughters taking the spotlight.
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Who are Malcolm X's daughters?
Malcolm X had six children with his wife Betty Shabazz - all of them daughters. Qubilah Shabazz, Attallah Shabazz, Gamilah Lumumba Shabazz, Ilyasah Shabazz, Malaak Shabazz, and Malikah Shabazz. Barring two of them who were born after his death, the remaining family members witnessed the gruesome sight of their father being riddled with bullets on that fateful day. Qubilah was just four when she and her three sisters were in the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem to hear Malcolm X speak.
She vividly remembers the event where her father was shot in close range. According to The Sun, the second-eldest daughter was also charged in 1995 in a reported plan to assassinate Louis Farrakhan, the NOI leader who was also Malcolm X's rival. His eldest daughter, Attalah Shabazz, was a schoolgirl in 1965 when she witnessed his horrific death and now serves as producer, writer, and diplomat. Gamilah was born in 1964.
Ilyasah Shabazz has had a high-profile life where she served as a member of the US Delegation that was part of President Bill Clinton's team that traveled to South Africa to honor the election of President Nelson Mandela. Malaak and Malikah Shabazz are twins. The former is a human rights activist, while the other had a criminal record and was charged with stealing $55,000 and the identity of Khaula Bakrof, the widow of her father’s friend and bodyguard at the time he was assassinated.
'Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali' synopsis
The official synopsis reads: "For three pivotal years, Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X forged a brotherhood that would not only change both men but change the world. Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali tells the extraordinary story behind the friendship —and the ultimate falling out— of two of the most iconic figures of the 20th century.
"Few people understand the bond these men shared. In this new feature-length documentary from producer Kenya Barris, director Marcus A. Clarke offers a fresh perspective by using insider voices and never-before-seen footage to chart this most complex of friendships, tracing the near-simultaneous and symbiotic rise of the charismatic and outspoken Olympic champion who charmed the nation, and the ex-con-turned intellectual revolutionary who railed against oppression."
It adds: "Through interviews with those closest to them — Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, Ali’s brother Rahman and daughters Maryum and Hana — and cultural luminaries such as Cornel West and Al Sharpton, the film illuminates their meeting, bonding, and eventual falling out over discord within the leadership of the Nation of Islam."
The documentary releases September 9 on Netflix.
