Zimbabwean educational activist Vee Kativhu is one this year’s recipients of the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award. Kativhu officially received the honour at the Centinnel Celebration of Malcom X’s life, hosted by The Shabazz Center in New York.
“To be recognised in this way—as one of the youngest recipients in history (their second youngest ever, with most honourees awarded after decades of service)—is beyond anything I ever imagined,” shared Kativhu in an Instagram post.
“Dr. Betty Shabazz once said, ‘Just as one must drink water, one must give back.’ That truth has shaped everything I do. From education advocacy to uplifting young women around the world, my mission has always been clear: serve with purpose, speak with love, and create space for others to rise.”
The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award recognizes individuals whose work uplifts truth, justice, and liberation in the spirit of Malcolm. Kativhu was honoured alongside Dr. Jelani Cobb, Dr. Ron Daniels, Ernest Crim III, Dr. Hisham Aidi and Lauren E. Walsh.
Dr Varaidzo “Vee” Kativhu is a globally recognised education activist, speaker, and youth empowerment strategist—named the youngest Honorary Doctorate recipient in the history of the University of Bradford.
As a Girls’ Education Champion and visionary digital creator, Dr Vee uses her platform of over 500,000 global followers to amplify issues around educational access, equity, and opportunity for underrepresented youth. She is the Founder of Empowered by Vee, a charity expanding access to higher education, and the creator of the Empowerment Workshop Model, which delivers practical, skills-based workshops to students from marginalised communities.
