‘Genius MLK/X’ Exclusive Preview Sees Both Leaders Preparing For The Day

Blavity’s Shadow and Act has an exclusive preview of Genius: MLK/X, showcasing some of the home life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, as well as Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Both homes are getting ready a big day and the wives are making sure they are good to go.

This Genius installment focuses on the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and how their philosophies both ran counter to each other and supported each other during the Civil Rights Movement.

Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre as the titular leaders, the series also stars Weruche Opia and Jayme Lawson as Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz.

According to the official description:

Setting the series apart from other retellings, GENIUS: MLK/X explores simultaneously the formative years, pioneering accomplishments, dueling philosophies and key personal relationships of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre). While King advanced racial equality through nonviolent activism, X advocated for Black empowerment, identity and self-determination. The eight-part series also brings their wives, Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia) and Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson), to the forefront and shows them as formidable equals of the Movement. While King and X met only once and often challenged each other’s views, the two visionaries, with their wives leading by their sides, ultimately rose to pioneer a movement that lives on today.

Two episodes will premiere weekly beginning Feb. 1 on National Geographic at 9 p.m. and will stream the next day on both Disney+ and Hulu. The first episode of the new season, “Graduation,” will also simulcast on ABC on Feb. 1 at 9 p.m.

Watch the clip below: