About the Author

High School Biology teacher and mother of four adult sons, Shelley Shabazz has been waiting for an opportunity to put her thoughts to music. While initially starting off her career as a clinical laboratory technologist at a major New York hospital, Shelley devoted all her non- working time to raising sons Malik, Hassan, Munir and Salahuddin. Born and raised in New York City (between Harlem and Jamaica Queens) Shelley would often spend her time playing music on her brother's systems, listening mostly to Chaka Khan, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson Five. Shelley sang in the church choir but upon her conversion to Islam in the late 80’s was exposed to very little music in this new arena of faith and hence thought she would have to abandon one of her first loves: music.

As fate would have it, Shelley began a teaching career that not only exposed her to more music, but showed her that music can be used to teach. Shelley realized she must do it in respect to her Lord who gave her something to say, and as a reminder that she could give to her children.