National Geographic's 'Genius: MLK/X' traces the interwoven legacies of two iconic leaders

National Geographic's 'Genius' franchise adds these civil rights activists to the series lineup.

ByAmy Becker OTRC logo
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
'Genius: MLK/X' traces the interwoven legacies of two iconic leaders
'Genius: MLK/X' will follow Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X as they pave the way through the civil rights movement.

LOS ANGELES -- "Genius: MLK/X" is the next installment of National Geographic's "Genius" franchise, a biographical anthology series with previous seasons focusing on Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and Aretha Franklin.

Now, audiences have the opportunity to follow Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X through their formative years and recognize how their dueling philosophies impacted the civil rights movement.

The legacies of the two activists are intricately woven together, with neither story being complete without the other.

"Most people don't know. They just see them as polar opposites, but they had so many similarities. They wanted to change the world and make the world better, and they just went about it in a little different ways," Executive Producer Gina Prince-Bythewood explained.

The eight-part series premieres February 1 on National Geographic and will be available for streaming February 2 on Disney+ and Hulu, with two new episodes debuting weekly.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of National Geographic, Disney+, Hulu and this ABC station.