The Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Westchester Alumnae Chapter hosted a book signing at the Doles Recreation Center Theater located in Mt. Vernon, New York. The first 100 youth participants received a complementary copy of “Betty Before X”. A fictionalized retelling of Betty Shabazz in her middle school years in Detroit. Ilyasah Shabazz daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz welcomed conversations with community impressionable Girls who were delighted to listen.
The book is set in 1940s, and applies the language of the time, including “Negro” and “colored.” It travels through Betty being raised Methodist by foster parents, Betty’s painful relationship with her mother and how her extended family and foster parents encouraged her puissance and principles. You will be able to follow along with a very young Betty as she encounters a lynching with a caregiver who tries to safeguard her from it. Racism and discrimination are strong content but seldom affect Betty directly in her loving community, she was resilient from small. “Betty Before X” is a must read.
