The University of Tennessee at Martin Dr. Henry H. Parker Speaker Series and Legacy Luncheon has announced that Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of civil rights activist Malcolm X, will be its guest speaker for the fall 2026 event.
The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 15, in the Duncan Ballroom of the Boling University Center on the UT Martin main campus, and Shabazz is scheduled to speak following the meal. Seating is limited, and registration for the luncheon is required at https://me-l.co/c7tna4kg.
Shabazz published a book last May, “Malcolm in the Desert: Wisdom from the Spiritual Transformation of Malcolm X,” about her father’s transformational experience and the inspiration that she received from his words and his work. She will sign copies of her book after she speaks.
Shabazz was only 2 years old when her father was killed in 1965 in New York.
Shabazz is an award-winning author, educator and producer. She is the author of six acclaimed books, served as a project adviser for the PBS award-winning documentary “Prince Among Slaves,” and is producing a television series based on “The Awakening of Malcolm X” with Sony Pictures Television and TriStar.
Shabazz is the board of directors chairwoman of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. In her work to preserve the legacy of her parents, she has dedicated herself to institution-building and intergenerational leadership development with the tenets of accessibility, fairness and belonging.
Shabazz founded and produced a young adult development program to provide historical context on social justice, encouraging personal empowerment and civic engagement. As an entrepreneur, she produces a variety of forums dedicated to power, possibility and sovereignty.
Shabazz is a member of the Soar Higher Cabinet Committee for the State University of New York at New Paltz College, a member of the Advisory Council for the Equal Rights Amendment Coalition and of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and serves as a trustee for the Harlem Symphony Orchestra.
Shabazz holds a Master of Science in Education and Human Resource Development degree from Fordham University; a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from SUNY New Paltz; and is an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
Shabazz was conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Worcester State University in recognition of her outstanding achievements in public service, education and the arts.
The Dr. Henry H. Parker Speaker Series and Legacy Luncheon is named for Dr. Henry H. Parker, professor emeritus of philosophy who taught at UT Martin for 33 years. Prior to coming to UT Martin, Parker was a professor at the University of Northern Iowa for 25 years and an instructor at the University of Minnesota-Morris for four years.
The Parker Speaker Series is coordinated by Dr. Henri Giles, assistant professor of African American studies and a former student of Parker. The inaugural program of the series was held Oct. 20, 2023.
For more information about UT Martin, visit ww.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).
PHOTO: Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X and an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, will be the guest speaker at the Dr. Henry H. Parker Speaker Series, to be held Oct. 15 in the Duncan Ballroom of the Boling University Center.
