Betty Before X

In Detroit, 1945, eleven-year-old Bettys house doesnt quite feel like home. She believes her mother loves her, but she cant shake the feeling that her mother doesnt want her. Church helps those worries fade, if only for a little while. Activists like Paul Robeson stir African Americans in her community to stand up for their rights. Betty finds purpose in volunteering for the Housewives League, which supports black-owned businesses. Soon, the American civil rights icon we now know as Dr. Betty Shabazz is born. Inspired by Betty's real life - but expanded upon and fictionalized in collaboration with novelist Rene Watson - Ilyasah Shabazz illuminates four years in her mothers childhood with this book, painting an inspiring portrait of a girl grappling with self-acceptance and belonging that will resonate with young readers today.