Civil Rights series launches
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A book by a University of Texas professor about the lives of Civil Rights titans is getting the Hollywood treatment.
Driving the news: "Genius: MLK/X," a new National Geographic docudrama series inspired by LBJ School professor Peniel Joseph's book, "The Sword and The Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.," premieres tomorrow on Nat Geo and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Details: The series follows the parallel stories of King, played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., and X (Aaron Pierre) from their formative years through their Civil Rights work, in partnership with their wives, Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia) and Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson).
- "Episodes will explore the moments between the monumental historical events we've come to know and shine a light on how each leader and those closest to them questioned their resolve and decisions as they navigated the rigors of balancing a public persona with a private life," per press material for the show.
What they're saying: "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X remain the two most important architects of movements for citizenship and dignity for Black people and all Americans," Joseph said in a statement. "It is an honor to be part of this project that humanizes these two icons, viewing them as dual sides of the same revolutionary coin."