December 4, 2025 • 9 mins
We bring you VLS Journeys, the monthly literary and cultural spotlight on Insight, hosted by Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati. Once a month, we explore the journeys of authors, thinkers, and creators shaping our world through story and scholarship. Today, we’re honored to welcome Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz — award-winning author, educator, and producer. Dr. Shabazz has written five acclaimed historical novels, served as project advisor for the PBS award-winning documentary Prince Among Slaves, and is currently producing a television series based on her latest book, The Awakening of Malcolm X, with Sony Pictures Television and Tri-Star. She also has a new book coming in 2026 with Legacy Lit at Hachette Book Group. We’ve invited her today to talk about a deeply meaningful upcoming event — a one-night-only celebration at Symphony Space in New York, honoring the 100th anniversary of Malcolm X’s birth.
On December 11, Symphony Space presents Malcolm X Centenary: A Celebration, led by journalist Jelani Cobb, featuring readings by Emmy Award–winning actor Joe Morton, and a dialogue with Pulitzer Prize winners Nikole Hannah-Jones and James Ijames, alongside Dr. Shabazz. The evening also celebrates the release of the newly updated edition of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Event Information:
🎟 Tickets & Details: https://www.symphonyspace.org/events/autobiography-malcolm-x-jelani-cobb
📅 Date: December 11
📍 Location: Symphony Space, New York City
You can connect with Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz at:
🌐 Website: www.ilyasahshabazz.com
📲 Socials: @ilyasahshabazz (Instagram, X/Twitter, Facebook)
And later in today’s segment, for “What Is Philadelphia Reading”, we hear from Carla Clarkson, owner of The Link Hair Studio and founder of HoneyBlowout — a brand committed to healthy hair, confidence, and empowerment.
Find her at:
🌐 The Link Hair Studio: www.thelinkhairstudio.com
🌐 HoneyBlowout: www.honeyblowout.com
📲 Socials:
– Instagram: @thelinkhairstudio | @honeyblowout
– Facebook: The Link Hair Studio / HoneyBlowout
On December 11, Symphony Space presents Malcolm X Centenary: A Celebration, led by journalist Jelani Cobb, featuring readings by Emmy Award–winning actor Joe Morton, and a dialogue with Pulitzer Prize winners Nikole Hannah-Jones and James Ijames, alongside Dr. Shabazz. The evening also celebrates the release of the newly updated edition of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Event Information:
🎟 Tickets & Details: https://www.symphonyspace.org/events/autobiography-malcolm-x-jelani-cobb
📅 Date: December 11
📍 Location: Symphony Space, New York City
You can connect with Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz at:
🌐 Website: www.ilyasahshabazz.com
📲 Socials: @ilyasahshabazz (Instagram, X/Twitter, Facebook)
And later in today’s segment, for “What Is Philadelphia Reading”, we hear from Carla Clarkson, owner of The Link Hair Studio and founder of HoneyBlowout — a brand committed to healthy hair, confidence, and empowerment.
Find her at:
🌐 The Link Hair Studio: www.thelinkhairstudio.com
🌐 HoneyBlowout: www.honeyblowout.com
📲 Socials:
– Instagram: @thelinkhairstudio | @honeyblowout
– Facebook: The Link Hair Studio / HoneyBlowout
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Welcome to Insight, a show about empowering our community.
I'm Lorraine Ballad tomorrow and as we do once a month,
every month, we have the fantabulous Vaness Lloyd's Gumbadi with
a segment do we call vls Journeys where she talks
about travel, about books, about entertainment, and so much more.
The next December is your birthday month.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Right, yes it is. It is my birthday. My beloved
som Me Kelly Georgia Kelly's Gambati is born on December
the first. I'm the fourteenth. My sister Kim, a major
Philadelphia celebrity, is on the twentieth, my man, my boyfriend
is on the twenty second, and my granddaughter is the thirties.
So lots of celebrations going on this month and hopefully
(00:40):
a lot of presents. But I've been celebrating all year long.
And as you know, I went to Europe and I
never talk about my trip until I've come back from
my trip because I don't want somebody going into my home.
But it was a crazy trip that was a lot
of business. I landed at Charles de Gaul Airport, went
to the Pyrenees, then I went back to Paris and
then I went to Bath Hill. You recommend it for
(01:01):
you Bridgington fans. Took a side trip to Bristol. If
you go to England, definitely go check out the cultural
center there. It speaks to the slave trade and it's
an interesting perspective because over five hundred thousand and slave
African people passed through those waterways. I presented a lecture
at the Black British Book Fair of the University of London.
Went back to Paris via Berlin, and don't go to
(01:23):
Berlin on a Sunday because all the stores are closed.
They have great museums and it's clean. Went to Paris again,
saw the Monet Javernet Gardens, left Paris and went to
Rome to work on a piece about Pope Leo and
I'll be talking more about that later. And then I
came home and I lost twelve pounds, so it was
a lot. But at any rate, don't travel with me.
(01:44):
But I'm like Dorothy, there's no place like home, and
so I'm always happy to share the airways with my
good friend Lorraine Ballatmorrow because she is one of the
most special people that I've ever known, because she likes
most people. Okay, she never has anything to say ill
about people. But this morning I have a very special guest,
(02:06):
doctor Iliasa Shabbaz, who is the daughter of Malcolm X.
She has great the African American children's book fair over
ten years ago with the book called Malcolm Little, The
Boy who grew up to become Malcolm X. The Doctor
is an award winning author, educator, and producer. She has
authored five historical novels, served as project advisor for the
(02:29):
PBS award winning film Prints Amongst Slaves documentary, and is
currently producing a television series based on her latest publication,
The Awakening of Malcolm X, with Sony Pictures. But this
morning I asked her to be on the show to
talk about a very special performance at Symphony Space in
New York City. The one night performance is marking the
(02:53):
one hundred anniversary of Malcolm X and it is an
amazing group of some of the most talent to people
Joe Morton, Nicole, Hannah Jones, James I James and of
course the wonderful, beautiful, talented and always always when I
like about you, your humbleness and willingness to share a
(03:14):
piece of your life with so many people around the world.
So thank you for taking time because I just called
you yesterday.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Okay, okay, but you see, I know the work that
you do is, you know, really incredible. I love the
places that you just visited. I was just in England.
I went to so many amazing places, including Oxford University.
But your trips sound absolutely incredible. And the fact that
you lost twelve pounds is miraculous.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Oh, because I was eating. I was definitely eating, especially
in Paris. Never leave a pastry shop alone, I like
to say. But tell us something. You are the daughter
of Malcolm X. And for those two people who are
listening who don't know briefly who was Malcolm.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
X, well, well, first of all, I have to say
I was one of six daughters of Malcolm X and
doctor Betty Shibaz. My mother was so incredible because my
father was assassinated when we were young girls, aged six
four to two. My mother was pregnant with twins, and
the fact that she raised us with a solid foundation
(04:19):
that we knew our father loved us. And one of
the things I say about my father, the world learned
about him when he was in his twenties, he was
gunned down at thirty nine, and he left this lasting impact,
which I say is such a blessing from God from
the heavens. He introduced a human rights agenda to the
(04:41):
civil rights movement, and his work continued from that kind
of perspective, ensuring that, you know, for one location, America
gives liberty and justice to all of its citizens, not
just to select few.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
You know, what I appreciate about what you're doing is
you introduce a lot of young people through a p
your book that was illustrated by ag Ford to your father,
so that they would know that he was a boy
who went on to do all these miraculous things. And
now you're taking it to the next level. You're doing
this performance with these amazing I would say these are
(05:15):
the icons of our generation because Joe Morton is just
outstanding as an actor, but Jelani Nicole, James, I James,
so tell us what is going to be and how
we here in Philadelphia can get on that train, maybe
that ten dollar train, and go up to New York
to see you.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Well, you know, it's the iconic space, symphony Space. We're
so grateful to One World, Penguin Random House Books for
publishing this Malcolm one hundred new edition. Believe it or not,
my father would be one hundred years old to me.
You know, it's just so incredible. And so in this
beautiful historic space, red velvet chairs, you have the whole scenario.
(05:56):
We'll have these intellectuals, these incredible as you know, someone
who spoke about sixteen nineteen, someone who was in Scandal
and he was also in the Malcolm X movie. But
incredible actor who will gather to enlighten, inform, do a
reading and just be in community and celebration with the audience.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
I'm looking forward to going up to New York. So
we're always up against the mike. I like to say,
how can we get information with days the performance? And
give us all your social media information?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Okay, So I'm at Ilyasa Chabbaz on Instagram primarily and
Facebook the Chabaz Center. I'm the chairperson of the board
at the Chabaz Center, which is at the Chabaz Center.
All the information is there. I believe it's also on
Symphony Space, Instagram, Facebook. But it's going to be on Thursday,
(06:58):
December eleventh at Symphony Space in New York City and
it begins at seven pm sharp.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Well, thank you so much for taking time out of
your busy day, and of course we will have that
online as Lorraine always does, and I look forward to
seeing you that evening because it is very important to
hear these stories about a man who is an icon.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
You know, our young people are always trying to figure
it out, right, who am I? What is my purpose?
What is life of that? And so we like to
provide a roadmap that articulates purpose, how we can move
forward with our identity intact with philosophies we've been invoking
that shapes human possibility.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, thank you so much. That has been doctor Iliosa
Shabaz and she will be in a performance doing a
reading on December the eleventh at the Symphony Space in
New York City. Thank you. We've come to one of
the favorite parts of my segment, what is Philadelphia Reading?
And normally I don't have repeats, but I had to
(08:04):
have a double repeat because this is someone who is
doing amazing things. Carla Clarkson, she's the owner of the
Link Hair Studio and the founder of Honey Blowout. Since
I last talked to her six years ago, she's got
a credit and Vote magazine for doing Shirley Rolf's hair
working on a tour doing hair and makeup for Kurt Franklin,
and her honey blowout is featured on the Home Shopping Network.
(08:27):
She is featured at the Christmas Village. Imagine all of that,
and she's got time to be at the Christmas Village.
So we're going to find out what's going on in
her literary world. So thank you for taking time out
of your busy schedule to be here. Thank you for
heaving me reading mass What book are you reading?
Speaker 4 (08:43):
The Art of Pricing, How to Find Hidden Profits to
Grow your Business. First book you read, Waiting Till It's
Hell Terry McMillan. Best book you've read, Rich Dad, Poor Dad?
Robert Kyosaki.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Worst book you've read.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Maybe the Book of Numbers in the Bible. Your go
to author, Terry McMillan, Buy or borrow? Buy?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
What book should everyone have in their library?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Say Yes by Shonda Rhimes Fiction and nonfiction nonfiction. You
have a.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Literary dinner named three people from the literary community you must.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Have Terry McMillan, Shall, Obama and of course Oprah.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
If you wrote a book about your life, what would
be the title?
Speaker 4 (09:24):
How to Thrive While surviving well folks.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
This is my last segment of the year, and have
a blessed New Year's as always continued to read, buy
a book and have a blessed day. And I will
see you on the other side.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Vaness Lloyd's gumbody who comes to us once a month
every month with VLS Journeys. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. We'll have
more insight after these messages.
Good morning, Welcome to Insight, a show about empowering our community.
I'm Lorraine Ballad tomorrow and as we do once a month,
every month, we have the fantabulous Vaness Lloyd's Gumbadi with
a segment do we call vls Journeys where she talks
about travel, about books, about entertainment, and so much more.
The next December is your birthday month.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Right, yes it is. It is my birthday. My beloved
som Me Kelly Georgia Kelly's Gambati is born on December
the first. I'm the fourteenth. My sister Kim, a major
Philadelphia celebrity, is on the twentieth, my man, my boyfriend
is on the twenty second, and my granddaughter is the thirties.
So lots of celebrations going on this month and hopefully
(00:40):
a lot of presents. But I've been celebrating all year long.
And as you know, I went to Europe and I
never talk about my trip until I've come back from
my trip because I don't want somebody going into my home.
But it was a crazy trip that was a lot
of business. I landed at Charles de Gaul Airport, went
to the Pyrenees, then I went back to Paris and
then I went to Bath Hill. You recommend it for
(01:01):
you Bridgington fans. Took a side trip to Bristol. If
you go to England, definitely go check out the cultural
center there. It speaks to the slave trade and it's
an interesting perspective because over five hundred thousand and slave
African people passed through those waterways. I presented a lecture
at the Black British Book Fair of the University of London.
Went back to Paris via Berlin, and don't go to
(01:23):
Berlin on a Sunday because all the stores are closed.
They have great museums and it's clean. Went to Paris again,
saw the Monet Javernet Gardens, left Paris and went to
Rome to work on a piece about Pope Leo and
I'll be talking more about that later. And then I
came home and I lost twelve pounds, so it was
a lot. But at any rate, don't travel with me.
(01:44):
But I'm like Dorothy, there's no place like home, and
so I'm always happy to share the airways with my
good friend Lorraine Ballatmorrow because she is one of the
most special people that I've ever known, because she likes
most people. Okay, she never has anything to say ill
about people. But this morning I have a very special guest,
(02:06):
doctor Iliasa Shabbaz, who is the daughter of Malcolm X.
She has great the African American children's book fair over
ten years ago with the book called Malcolm Little, The
Boy who grew up to become Malcolm X. The Doctor
is an award winning author, educator, and producer. She has
authored five historical novels, served as project advisor for the
(02:29):
PBS award winning film Prints Amongst Slaves documentary, and is
currently producing a television series based on her latest publication,
The Awakening of Malcolm X, with Sony Pictures. But this
morning I asked her to be on the show to
talk about a very special performance at Symphony Space in
New York City. The one night performance is marking the
(02:53):
one hundred anniversary of Malcolm X and it is an
amazing group of some of the most talent to people
Joe Morton, Nicole, Hannah Jones, James I James and of
course the wonderful, beautiful, talented and always always when I
like about you, your humbleness and willingness to share a
(03:14):
piece of your life with so many people around the world.
So thank you for taking time because I just called
you yesterday.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Okay, okay, but you see, I know the work that
you do is, you know, really incredible. I love the
places that you just visited. I was just in England.
I went to so many amazing places, including Oxford University.
But your trips sound absolutely incredible. And the fact that
you lost twelve pounds is miraculous.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Oh, because I was eating. I was definitely eating, especially
in Paris. Never leave a pastry shop alone, I like
to say. But tell us something. You are the daughter
of Malcolm X. And for those two people who are
listening who don't know briefly who was Malcolm.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
X, well, well, first of all, I have to say
I was one of six daughters of Malcolm X and
doctor Betty Shibaz. My mother was so incredible because my
father was assassinated when we were young girls, aged six
four to two. My mother was pregnant with twins, and
the fact that she raised us with a solid foundation
(04:19):
that we knew our father loved us. And one of
the things I say about my father, the world learned
about him when he was in his twenties, he was
gunned down at thirty nine, and he left this lasting impact,
which I say is such a blessing from God from
the heavens. He introduced a human rights agenda to the
(04:41):
civil rights movement, and his work continued from that kind
of perspective, ensuring that, you know, for one location, America
gives liberty and justice to all of its citizens, not
just to select few.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
You know, what I appreciate about what you're doing is
you introduce a lot of young people through a p
your book that was illustrated by ag Ford to your father,
so that they would know that he was a boy
who went on to do all these miraculous things. And
now you're taking it to the next level. You're doing
this performance with these amazing I would say these are
(05:15):
the icons of our generation because Joe Morton is just
outstanding as an actor, but Jelani Nicole, James, I James,
so tell us what is going to be and how
we here in Philadelphia can get on that train, maybe
that ten dollar train, and go up to New York
to see you.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Well, you know, it's the iconic space, symphony Space. We're
so grateful to One World, Penguin Random House Books for
publishing this Malcolm one hundred new edition. Believe it or not,
my father would be one hundred years old to me.
You know, it's just so incredible. And so in this
beautiful historic space, red velvet chairs, you have the whole scenario.
(05:56):
We'll have these intellectuals, these incredible as you know, someone
who spoke about sixteen nineteen, someone who was in Scandal
and he was also in the Malcolm X movie. But
incredible actor who will gather to enlighten, inform, do a
reading and just be in community and celebration with the audience.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
I'm looking forward to going up to New York. So
we're always up against the mike. I like to say,
how can we get information with days the performance? And
give us all your social media information?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Okay, So I'm at Ilyasa Chabbaz on Instagram primarily and
Facebook the Chabaz Center. I'm the chairperson of the board
at the Chabaz Center, which is at the Chabaz Center.
All the information is there. I believe it's also on
Symphony Space, Instagram, Facebook. But it's going to be on Thursday,
(06:58):
December eleventh at Symphony Space in New York City and
it begins at seven pm sharp.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Well, thank you so much for taking time out of
your busy day, and of course we will have that
online as Lorraine always does, and I look forward to
seeing you that evening because it is very important to
hear these stories about a man who is an icon.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
You know, our young people are always trying to figure
it out, right, who am I? What is my purpose?
What is life of that? And so we like to
provide a roadmap that articulates purpose, how we can move
forward with our identity intact with philosophies we've been invoking
that shapes human possibility.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, thank you so much. That has been doctor Iliosa
Shabaz and she will be in a performance doing a
reading on December the eleventh at the Symphony Space in
New York City. Thank you. We've come to one of
the favorite parts of my segment, what is Philadelphia Reading?
And normally I don't have repeats, but I had to
(08:04):
have a double repeat because this is someone who is
doing amazing things. Carla Clarkson, she's the owner of the
Link Hair Studio and the founder of Honey Blowout. Since
I last talked to her six years ago, she's got
a credit and Vote magazine for doing Shirley Rolf's hair
working on a tour doing hair and makeup for Kurt Franklin,
and her honey blowout is featured on the Home Shopping Network.
(08:27):
She is featured at the Christmas Village. Imagine all of that,
and she's got time to be at the Christmas Village.
So we're going to find out what's going on in
her literary world. So thank you for taking time out
of your busy schedule to be here. Thank you for
heaving me reading mass What book are you reading?
Speaker 4 (08:43):
The Art of Pricing, How to Find Hidden Profits to
Grow your Business. First book you read, Waiting Till It's
Hell Terry McMillan. Best book you've read, Rich Dad, Poor Dad?
Robert Kyosaki.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Worst book you've read.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Maybe the Book of Numbers in the Bible. Your go
to author, Terry McMillan, Buy or borrow? Buy?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
What book should everyone have in their library?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Say Yes by Shonda Rhimes Fiction and nonfiction nonfiction. You
have a.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Literary dinner named three people from the literary community you must.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Have Terry McMillan, Shall, Obama and of course Oprah.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
If you wrote a book about your life, what would
be the title?
Speaker 4 (09:24):
How to Thrive While surviving well folks.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
This is my last segment of the year, and have
a blessed New Year's as always continued to read, buy
a book and have a blessed day. And I will
see you on the other side.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Vaness Lloyd's gumbody who comes to us once a month
every month with VLS Journeys. I'm Lorraine Balladmorrow. We'll have
more insight after these messages.
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