The premiere of National Geographic’s latest series “Genius: MLK/X” was held on Jan. 25 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The docu-drama is the fourth installment in National Geographic’s Genius franchise and focuses on two icons of the civil rights era: the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and their “dueling philosophies” on how to counter racial inequality in the United States.
According to the official synopsis, “Genius: MLK/X” follows both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre) from their formative years, where they were molded by strong fathers and traumatic injustices, to their rich, parallel stories as they shaped their identities. While King and X met only once and often challenged each other’s views, neither would have been as successful without the other.
The series also highlights their wives, Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia) and Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson), who are formidable equals of the civil rights movement.
The event showcased the first episode, titled “Graduation,” telling the stories of Martin and Malcolm’s childhood and how they are groomed to embrace racial pride and develop their purpose.
The series was inspired by the book titled “The Sword and The Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.,” by Peniel E. Joseph.
“Genius: MLK/X” will premiere in sync with Black History Month on Feb. 1 at 9 p.m. ET on National Geographic and stream on Feb. 2 on Disney+ and Hulu, with two new episodes debuting weekly on those platforms.
Link: National Geographic’’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/2O2JZ7ZYgYc