Cory Davis
MC301 Contributor/Staff
History was made when Jackson State University held an emotional dialogue between Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X and Reena Evers-Everette, daughter of Medgar Evers.
The 2015 Black History Makers Forum: “Celebrating the Life of Malcolm X” on the 50th anniversary of his death, was presented by the Fannie Lou Hamer Institute at COFO (the Council of Federated Organizations) and the College of Liberal Arts.
The event began that Monday with Shabazz delivering the keynote address followed by the book review and signing of her book, “Growing Up X” in the College of Liberal Arts auditorium. On Tuesday, it was followed up by student presentations.
During the address Shabazz shared personal stories about her father and how she remembered him. She also questioned the morals of society today and encouraged students to honor the ancestors of Africa through accurate historical information, leadership, and compassion.
“As the future leaders of this new world, sitting back and waiting for someone else to do for us is no longer an option. With our talents, skills, and access, we must rely on ourselves to get the job done,” said Shabazz
Isaiah Brydie, a senior political science major from Oklahoma City, Okla., was enlightened by the address.
“It was very, very powerful. Very interesting, I love how she touched on different facets of history, things that possibly a lot of people didn’t know about. I like how she incorporated all the facets of what’s going on in the black community today as far as injustices, police brutality, uplifting the black woman, empowering the black man. All of these facets in the conversation were powerful,” said Brydie.
That evening, the historical conversation between Ilyasah Shabazz and Reena Evers-Everette took place at the JSU Student Center, Ballroom A.
Evers-Everette referred to Shabazz as her younger sister during their conversation. She mentioned that their bond throughout the years was so solid that they were not just tied together by their family bonds, but were more like sisters because of how closely connected they were.
“I think the one thing that stood out to me was that my mother, Myrlie, and Coretta all came together during such a devastating time . . . It allowed our families to grow closer together and establish a stronger bond,” said Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcom X.
Evers-Everette shared a similar belief.
“When I refer to Ilyasah’s mother, its aunt Betty or Mama Betty, and the same applies for Coretta, its aunt Coretta or Mama Coretta . . . Outside of my own mother, those two women were very dear to me and treated me well throughout my life,” said Evers-Everette.
Both Shabazz and Evers-Everette were very young during the assassination of their father’s. Evers-Everette was only eight years old when her father, Mississippi NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers, was shot in the driveway of their home in Jackson, Miss. on June 12, 1963. Shabazz was only three years old when her father was assassinated in the ballroom of a New York City hotel on Feb. 19, 1965.
“We belong to a club that nobody should ever want to join, a club where we have all suffered from pain, sorrow, and tragedy,” said Evers-Everette.
The women also spoke about the life of their mothers before their fathers were murdered and discussed their roles as women.
“Our women today need to know their role and support our men, but our men need to realize that they need to allow their women to be in their corner and support them along the way,” said Shabazz. “My father was loyal to his wife and he loved his beautiful brown woman . . . My mother had patience with her husband and she held him up high.”
Bencuda Stowers was honored to be among these two leaders and many of them were uplifted.
“I really enjoyed the inspiration and the critical moments of that time they were able to share with us. We are currently fighting that fight trying to make something out of ourselves and to not be a statistic, so I think it is really uplifting that they were able to share their wisdom and knowledge with us,” said Stowers, a sophomore marketing major from Jackson, Miss.
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