NFL
By: Zach Draves
One Night in Miami is a powerful fictionalized tale rooted in a historical reality that speaks to as much to the present moment as it did in the past.
The film directed by Oscar-winning actress Regina King is based on the 2013 Kemp Powers play that tells the story of a meeting between Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke, and Malcolm X in a Miami Beach motel in 1964.
A convergence of black power.
In the aftermath of Ali, then Cassius Clay, defeating Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight title, all four came together for an important meeting that did occur but nobody knows what was said.
At the time Ali was undergoing a private transformation under the mentorship of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam that eventually culminated in him becoming the most famous Black Muslim on the planet.
Malcolm was beginning a new journey on his own after becoming disillusioned with the Nation of Islam and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s indiscretions, attempting to form his own organization.
Jim Brown was beginning a successful movie career after retiring from football in his early thirties and was also on the cusp of crafting his own revolutionary image when it came to black economics.
Sam Cooke was as lyrically smooth as you can get, singing mainstream compositions while being pushed by Malcolm to do and say more when it came to the movement.
All four men were the faces of their respective fields and the movie showcased the mutual love and affection that each of them shared.
Malcolm was very much the leader in terms of getting the others to recognize the tremendous social, political, and cultural cache that they possessed with the intent to make it big while staying unapologetically black.
At moments there was some tough love amongst themselves but eventually, they left that motel to follow in the ethos of self-determination.
The following day, Ali made his name and his allegiance to the Nation official to the public and the rest speaks for itself.
Malcolm would make his legendary pilgrimage to Mecca and returned with a new sense of purpose, committed to racial equality distinct from the Nation while still maintaining a strong sense of black nationalism.
Jim catapulted to Hollywood stardom but would go on to form the Negro Economic Union that was committed to black economic control and forming alliances with black businesses.
Sam would release his signature hit “A Change is Gonna Come” which was his homage to the movement and solidified his place as the voice of his generation while also becoming one of the first black artists to control the rights to his music.
All four men had similar paths and similar tribulations which included being spied on by the likes of J. Edgar Hoover’s terroristic COINTELPRO operation that sought to dismantle and destroy black activism.
In the end, they triumphed in history as their legacies and impact are being felt today and their work continues.
The film is a perfect bridge-builder between the past and the present day.
A definite must-see that will make you reflect and recharge.
