Worcester State names daughter of Malcolm X as inaugural DEI fellow

PHOTO | Courtesy of Worcester State University Ilyasah Shabazz, inaugural DEI fellow at Worcester State University

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By Isabel Tehan

Worcester State University has named Ilyasah Shabazz as the school’s inaugural DEI fellow for the 2023-2024 school year. Shabbazz is the daughter of civil rights icons Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz.

Shabazz, a doctoral alumna of WSU, will support initiatives in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity, according to a Sunday press release from WSU. She will provide recommendations to the university, as well as teach courses in the history and political science department in the spring semester.

“We’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all students. This fellowship will help us shape the desired culture we envision for our students, one which fosters an environment of respect, cultural and diverse awareness in which all can thrive,” WSU president Barry Maloney said in the press release.

Shabazz is co-chairperson of The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center in New York City, and has spent her career dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has served as an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and authored the “Growing Up X” memoir.

Shabbaz holds a bachelor’s degree from State University of New York at New Paltz, a master’s degree from Fordham University in New York, and a doctorate from Worcester State, according to her LinkedIn profile.