Genius: MLK/X

Matt Roush says...

Previous seasons of the docudrama anthology focused on a singular figure of world renown: Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Aretha Franklin. In an unusual and rewarding departure, Genius launches Black History Month with a dual, side-by-side dramatic biographical portrait of the civil-rights era’s two most dominant leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre). They only met once in person, and their views on how to achieve social change were often diametrically opposed, but they shared a passionate goal of equality for Black people, paying the ultimate sacrifice for their crusades. Airing over four weeks, two episodes a week, the limited series features The Walking Dead’s Lennie James as Martin’s father and, in one of his last performances, This Is Us Emmy winner Ron Cephas Jones as Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammed, Malcolm’s spiritual and political mentor. Weruche Opia and Jayme Lawson co-star as Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz, their partners in life and the movement. ABC simulcasts the first hour, and the episodes are available for streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

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