Betty Sanders was raised in Detroit, Michigan with the trappings of a middle-class life. In the 1950�s she went to New York to study psychiatric nursing. In New York, she became a member of the Nation of Islam. Sister Betty was well respected and worked hard at the Temple. Her work was recognized and she caught the eye of Malcolm X.

After a brief courtship, they married and began their life together. Malcolm X was the official spokesman for the Nation of Islam and he traveled a lot, but Sister Betty kept the family together. Then came Malcolm's split with the Nation of Islam and many things changed very quickly.

This dynamic woman�s life was marred by the assassination of her husband. Already they had four daughters and twin girls were born after her husband was assassinated. Raising them alone, Shabazz set an example for other women. She built a following of her own in the years after her husband's murder. She united politically active Black women, developed her own proteges and worked hard for political, educational and family causes. Her untimely death in 1997 touched the hearts and souls of many.