Dr. Bernice King and Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz honored the father’s legacy through a powerful runway walk during the active Black’s NYFW performance.
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Dr. Bernice King and Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz turned the runway into a homage to the history of civil rights during New York Fashion Week and walked side by side on sweatshirts in honor of their fathers – Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X – the Athleisure Athleisure tag for black people is proactively black.
The emotional moments are revealed as the two daughters of two civil rights giants lead the catwalk, surrounded by archival footage of the movement and living legends.
“I’ve cried 3 times since last night,” wrote Lanny Smith, an active black founder on Instagram. “Thank you for trusting me in this vision.”
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The show was held in one of the biggest weeks of fashion, mixing style with substance. It features visual effects from the age of civil rights and respects those who live and fight against it through apartheid.
Photographer Cecil Williams, known for capturing the critical moments of the Civil Rights Movement, walked on the runway in a sweatshirt with a colored version of his image on it – a teenager Williams drank from a water fountain of “only whites.” Behind him, the same photo plays on the screen.
“People think of Jim Crow’s outrageous evil as ancient. No, people still grew up here,” Smith wrote. “Thanks Cecil Williams for trusting it.”
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Ruby Bridges, who became the first black kid to integrate into Louisiana Elementary School at the age of six, also walked the runway. Now 71 years old, she is wearing a black sweatshirt dress.
Before her appearance, a video montage showed the racist rebound she endured, followed by a young actress accompanied by two white men, depicting the Federal Marshal who protected the bridge during her historic walking school trip.
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After the show, King sent a message to Shabazz: “Let’s go together… don’t get tired.
My sister and I @ilyasahshabazz (daughter of #malcolmx and #BettyShabazz) were on @ActivlyBlack NYFW Show last night.
Encouraged, family.
Let’s “go together… don’t get tired.” #MLK #corettascottking pic.twitter.com/tzppjfkdt7
– Become the King of September 13, 2025 (@berniceking)
The speech also takes visual effects and tributes as the women behind the men on the show (Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz).
The event sparked debate in a debate on how civil rights history is taught in American schools.
The National Center for Citizenship and Human Rights at Atlanta recently expanded its exhibition to reflect the ongoing relevance of the movement.
Smith’s brand has previously worked with Williams to showcase his historic images designed to keep stories of civil rights in modern culture visible.
