Dr. Bernice King and Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz honored their fathers’ legacies with a powerful runway walk during Actively Black’s NYFW show.
Dr. Bernice King and Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz turned the runway into a living tribute to civil rights history during New York Fashion Week, walking side by side in sweatshirts honoring their fathers — Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X — for the Black-owned athleisure label Actively Black.
The emotional moment unfolded as the two daughters of civil rights giants held hands while walking the catwalk, surrounded by archival footage and living legends of the movement.
“I’ve cried 3 times since last night,” wrote Actively Black founder Lanny Smith on Instagram. “Thank you for trusting me with this vision.”
The show, held during one of fashion’s biggest weeks, blended style with substance. It featured Civil Rights-era visuals and honored those who lived through segregation and fought against it.
Photographer Cecil Williams, known for capturing pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement, walked the runway wearing a sweatshirt printed with a colorized version of his own image — a teenage Williams drinking from a “whites-only” water fountain. Behind him, the same photo played on a screen.
“People think the heinous and evil of Jim Crow was ancient times. Nah, people are STILL here who grew up in it,” Smith wrote. “Thank you Cecil Williams for trusting my vision on this.”
Ruby Bridges, who at six years old became the first Black child to integrate a Louisiana elementary school in 1960, also walked the runway. Now 71, she wore a black sweatshirt dress.
Before her appearance, a video montage showed the racist backlash she endured, followed by a young actress escorted by two white men portraying the federal marshals who protected Bridges during her historic walk to school.
After the show, King posted a message to Shabazz: “Let’s ‘walk together…and not get weary,’” quoting her father while calling Shabazz her “sister.”
Me and my sister, @ilyasahShabazz (daughter of #MalcolmX and #BettyShabazz), last night at the @ActivelyBlack NYFW Show.
Be encouraged, family.
Let’s “walk together…and not get weary.” #MLK #CorettaScottKing pic.twitter.com/TzPpJfkDT7
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) September 13, 2025
The presentation also honored the women behind the men — Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz — with visuals and tributes woven into the show.
The event comes amid renewed debate over how civil rights history is taught in American schools.
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta recently expanded its exhibits to reflect the continued relevance of the movement.
Smith’s brand has previously collaborated with Williams on apparel featuring his historic images, aiming to keep civil rights stories visible in modern culture.
Related
