The History Behind the Legendary Meeting in ‘One Night in Miami’ – esquire.com
The opening of One Night in Miami tells viewers the story is inspired by true events, but the relationship between truth and fiction in the drama is more complicated. Kemp Powers, who recently co-directed Pixars Soul, originally wrote the play in order to fill in the gaps about what happened behind closed doors when Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown met in a hotel room in Miami in 1964.
The new film adaptation of the story, directed by Regina King and written by Powers, similarly probes the imagined private conversation of four men whose public demeanours have been mythologised. In Malcolm X we see quiet moments of doubt and fear creep in, while in Muhammad Ali there are scenes of contemplation and questioning faith. Largely confined to a hotel room we watch these four men wrestling, both with their own demons and verbally with one another.
Earlier this week, Esquire spoke to Powers over Zoom to discuss weaving fiction from history, the need to write a love letter to Black men in popular culture, and the unfortunate, endless relevance of the story.
Esquire: The story is a fictional account of a real evening, what was the spark which inspired the original play you wrote?
Kemp Powers: It was the fact that evening did happen. About 15 years ago I was reading a book on the intersection between professional sports and the civil rights movement. The focus was Muhammad Ali and it mentioned that specific night and the fact that when Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston, he went back to Malcolm Xs hotel room with Sam Cooke and Jim Brown. The next morning he announced that he was a member of The Nation of Islam to the press. I already knew about the relationship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, but for some reason the idea of the four of them together in a room really sparked my imagination. My initial intention was to write a book about their friendship but the thing that stumped me was that I couldnt get a lot of details about what they discussed in the room. It seems to me like perfect grist for the mill for a dramatic piece where these four titans are trapped in a room together, the idea being that the room becomes a ring with this four-way match.
Is there anything known about what they did speak about?
Little details of the night show up in various biographies, one little fact thats true is that all they had was vanilla ice cream. Sometimes you read something about what was discussed on the night and it contradicts something else that was written. When you read a biography on Muhammad Ali everything is from his perspective and how it affects him, whereas when you read a biography on Sam Cooke, everything is from his perspective. Often you get details on the night that dont align with one another which makes me feel even better about this fictionalised conversation that takes place.
Amazon Prime
When reports contradict each other, how do you find a path forward?
90 per cent of what is said is stuff that is my creation, but its based on what they believed and who they really were. If you do a cursory bit of research into Sam Cooke youll know he was inspired to write A Change Is Gonna Come after hearing Bob Dylans Blowin in the Wind, and he literally said, A Black man should have written that song. Generally speaking when things contradict each other I try to do a little bit more reporting and research to understand what the truth was, but its always going to be like [the] Rashomon [effect], where, depending on who you ask about any given moment youre going to get ten different stories, so whatever serves the story Im trying to tell the best.
You mentioned about it being like a boxing match in the room, and there is a sense of them sparring with their words. How did you inhabit each of their voices, did you read their speeches and listen to their music?
All of the above, but listening to them in public is just a small part of it because so much of what I was trying to do was show the private, unseen version of each of these men. So many of the videos you see of Malcolm X are him on a podium being fiery, or him involved in a debate with someone who hates his guts, so much of Ali is him being performative. What I wanted to show was the version of each man that manifested itself when you did a holistic view. When you hear about how Malcolm loved taking photos or how shy he was, the fact he would leave his daughters little hidden notes when he left town and then call them and send them on scavenger hunts. I wanted to focus on those human things which in many ways allow me to connect more to them than the many great things they did.
On this night, at least, Cassius Clay was still a 22-year-old man who was growing up and just coming into adulthood. He was on the precipice of so many great things, but he didnt know what he was going to do yet. Jim was only 28-years-old on this night and unsure if he wanted to stay in the NFL, Sam was in his early thirties and unsure what to do with his career. Malcolm was in his late thirties and felt like he was going to die any day now.
Amazon Prime
Is it hard to contend with the mythic status that these people have?
The very first draft of the stage play that I wrote was terrible because it was just a book report. I was so excited that Id discovered all these things about these men that people didnt know that I felt I had to make sure I got all of them in there. But then I went back to the drawing board and realised that my job is to take all this information and use it as fuel to feed the characterisation. Its not about the characters regurgitating all these interesting things, its about using them to inform their behaviour, and thats the job with any biopic.
Theres a certain amount of fictionalisation in all of it, if you see something that says Based on a true story you could easily start poking holes in the truth behind it, because its never 100 per cent true. In fact if its Hollywood and it says Based on a true story, half the time its more fiction than things that say their fiction. If anything, I used a lot more reality and fact in this story but I didnt want it to be burdened by that. I want the debate to wash over you, I dont want someone to be focused on whether something really happened.
Regina King has described the story as a love letter to Black men, is that what you intended in writing it?
Its a complex issue to me because I feel that regular Black men showing their friendship is something you dont see very often. Our innate humanity and vulnerability is so rarely on display, but its a part of who we are. On the Pixar film Soul I got to tell this universal story through the prism of a Black man and usually we dont get to do that. People wrongly often assume we dont have feelings or are superhuman because they dont get to see it very often, so it was absolutely a goal to put Black mens humanity on display.
Damu Malik
Theres a moment where Malcolm X challenges Sam Cooke about what he is doing to help the movement, do you think there is still that pressure on Black people to be a spokesperson on racial justice?
Absolutely, the central debate is what, if any, social responsibility do we have as a Black artist, athlete, singer because its always going to come up. Its something I believe that any famous Black person at some point is going to have on their mind, thats kind of the crux of the debate in the film. I think the conflict between Sam and Malcolm was the first bit that I wrote and was the foundational part of the argument.
Theres also a discussion about the tension between men with different shades of Black skin, is that something that was hard to voice?
It was a very important part of the play as a reference to colourism and it landed so well with Regina. Casting the film was challenging and there was a certain point where the casting directors asked, Is it absolutely necessary for the actor to be light-skinned? and even I was like, Do you know what it doesnt matter, I can rewrite the line', but Regina said, No, it has to be a light-skinned actor, because theres no way were losing that line, its too important. Its been a nice surprise to see how much that line has resonated, particularly amongst Black people, because colourism is an issue that has always gone on. The word might perceive us all as quote-unquote Black, but within that there is a subset based on complexion.
Amazon Prime
The final shot of Malcolms house burning and the knowledge he is assassinated is such a powerful ending, were you always writing toward that sad eventuality?
Ive always viewed this story as a tragedy, because as great as these men were I couldnt help but think of how much further they could have gone together if things had gone differently. Malcolm and Sam were both dead less than a year from this night, Sam within a matter of months. Malcolm didnt live to see the publication of his autobiography which is what opened him up to a lot of people. Sam didnt live to see the impact of A Change Is Gonna Come. Weeks after this night Malcolm and Ali split and they never spoke to each other again. The tragedy of all that always hung over me.
The play ends on a very sad note, and what I like about the film is that we ended on much more of a note of hope, because even knowing Malcolm and Sam are going to die, you know they have had a positive effect on generations that have come after.
Are you still surprised by how many themes in the film remain part of our present day?
Not anymore, because every production of the play we had over the years was always seen as representative of what was going on. In 2013 Trayvon Martin got killed and George Zimmerman got off, in 2015 there was Freddie Gray. Its been ever-present. So Im no longer surprised at all to be honest, and thats unfortunate.
'One Night in Miami' is on Amazon Prime Video now
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more delivered straight to your inbox
SIGN UP
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
Follow this link:
The History Behind the Legendary Meeting in 'One Night in Miami' - esquire.com
- George Zimmerman Obituary (2024) - Orangeburg, SC - The Times and Democrat - Legacy.com - November 24th, 2024 [November 24th, 2024]
- George Zimmerman's Brother Compares Trayvon Martin to Alleged Baby Killer - Essence - November 4th, 2024 [November 4th, 2024]
- George Zimmerman Is to Auction the Gun Used to Kill Trayvon Martin, Reports Say - Yahoo Movies Canada - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- Trayvon Martin Shooter George Zimmerman Charged With Murder - imdb - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- City where Trayvon Martin was killed hopes to fix racial tension with storytelling, respect - Yahoo News - February 25th, 2024 [February 25th, 2024]
- Celebrating Trayvon Martin: How His Legacy Continues To Thrive - NewsOne - February 12th, 2024 [February 12th, 2024]
- Mary L. Bowman | News, Sports, Jobs - The Express - Lock Haven Express - November 3rd, 2023 [November 3rd, 2023]
- The 'useful idiots' who cannot understand total evil - The Suburban Newspaper - November 3rd, 2023 [November 3rd, 2023]
- Weaponizing death _- Commentary | Government/Opinion - City-sentinel - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- Giffords: Cleveland, other shootings show the gun industry's ... - Houston Chronicle - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- Today's Savannah Guthrie's multi-million net worth compared to Hoda Kotb, Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, and more who's on top? - HELLO! - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- I met Harry Belafonte a decade ago at a protest. Im still moved by that moment. - Andscape - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- How two decades of gun culture helped shape America's 'Stand Your Ground' laws - ABC News - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Texas Governor Seeks To Pardon Convicted Killer Of Anti-police Brutality Protester - Barron's - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Why businesses should double down on EDI to weather economic ... - People Management Magazine - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Rep. Justin Jones: 5 Things About The HBCU Grad Reinstated To ... - BET - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Jackie Robinson breaks baseball barrier: Today in history - Calgary Herald - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Adidas Drops Trademark Dispute With Black Lives Matter - The New York Times - April 4th, 2023 [April 4th, 2023]
- From Homewood to Bronx, Grammy-winning saxophonist ... - Chicago Tribune - April 4th, 2023 [April 4th, 2023]
- Social Media Sympathizes With Tekashi 6ix9ine After Brutal Gym Beatdown - MadameNoire - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Tekashi 6ix9ine Receives Support Online After Gym Beatdown - MadameNoire - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- Was Tekashi Beat Up By His Own Security Force? - AllHipHop - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- The Republicans war on woke has turned the party into a group of hysterical Chicken Littles - TheGrio - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- A Timeline of George Zimmerman's Post-Trayvon Life - March 6th, 2023 [March 6th, 2023]
- Timeline of the George Zimmerman Murder Trial - ABC News - February 26th, 2023 [February 26th, 2023]
- Why George Zimmerman was acquitted - MSNBC.com - February 26th, 2023 [February 26th, 2023]
- Where is George Zimmerman now in 2022? He remains ... - TheNetline - February 10th, 2023 [February 10th, 2023]
- Fast Facts: The Zimmerman Case - CBS Miami - CBS News - February 10th, 2023 [February 10th, 2023]
- Eric Holder Praises Reverend Al Sharpton; Reports Say Zimmerman to be ... - December 16th, 2022 [December 16th, 2022]
- George Zimmerman's Bizarre Life Since Trayvon Martin's ... - Newsweek - August 28th, 2022 [August 28th, 2022]
- Black Man Charged With Murder of White Teen Says He Was Standing His Ground - VICE - August 28th, 2022 [August 28th, 2022]
- Re-Directing Clinical Passion: Benefits and Pitfalls - Psychotherapy.net - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- A List Of All The Ways Fans Heckle Accused Cheater Patrick Reed - Defector - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- Letter: What is a 'stand-your-ground' law? - INFORUM - August 7th, 2022 [August 7th, 2022]
- Justice remains elusive in Till's murder | | dailyitem.com - Sunbury Daily Item - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- White Man In Connecticut Arrested After Pushing 11-Year-Old Black Boy Off Bike - The Root - July 4th, 2022 [July 4th, 2022]
- We Need a Congressional Investigation Into the 2020 Riots - Heritage.org - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Religious fanatics are now running the country - Daily Kos - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- George Zimmerman: A Complete Story of a Murder and Life After - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- We Need a Congressional Investigation Into the 2020 Riots | Opinion - Newsweek - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- War Profiteering Benefits a Few But Hurts Most of Us - LA Progressive - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Opinion | Embracing the Complexity of Peace | Robert C. Koehler - Common Dreams - June 19th, 2022 [June 19th, 2022]
- Two White Men Arrested For Threatening Black Teen, Throwing a Rock In His Car In Same Town Trayvon Martin Was - Black Enterprise - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- A dark money-fueled conservative group rebranded its effort to infiltrate local politics and local media outlets are falling for it - Media Matters... - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- #WordinBlack: Texas native son talks Juneteenth: better late than never - Afro American - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- A Country Armed to the Teeth - CounterPunch.org - CounterPunch - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- Review: Netflixs Civil follows a momentous year in the life of Americas Black attorney general - SF Chronicle Datebook - June 13th, 2022 [June 13th, 2022]
- Kyle Rittenhouse is Lying About Going to College - The Root - June 10th, 2022 [June 10th, 2022]
- Buffalo associate superintendent named to Time's 'Innovative Teachers of the Year' list - WBFO - June 10th, 2022 [June 10th, 2022]
- Notre Dame says it is 'appalled' the Buffalo shooting suspect cited an article by one of its professors - Chicago Tribune - May 29th, 2022 [May 29th, 2022]
- The NRA Exists to Keep Weapons Profits Booming and Guns in the Hands of the State and Right Wing - Left Voice - May 29th, 2022 [May 29th, 2022]
- His Name is George Floyd by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa review the murder that shamed the US - The Guardian - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Be careful with testing waivers | News, Sports, Jobs - The Daily Times - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- Attorney Ben Crump hired to represent family of Buffalo mass shooting victim - Orlando Sentinel - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- The New Black Panther Party: The Journal of Steffanie Rivers | WATCHinterview - eurweb.com - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- JAY-Z Has Dissed More People Than Any Other MC - Ambrosia For Heads - April 17th, 2022 [April 17th, 2022]
- Today in History: Today is Saturday, April 9, the 99th day of 2022. - wausaupilotandreview.com - April 14th, 2022 [April 14th, 2022]
- Woke Exclusive: The Cast and Creatives Reveal When They Got Woke at WonderCon 2022 - The Illuminerdi - April 14th, 2022 [April 14th, 2022]
- Parkland mass shooter finally faces judgment. Jury selection to begin on Monday - Norman Transcript - April 2nd, 2022 [April 2nd, 2022]
- Letter to the editor | Welcome all refugees into our country - TribDem.com - April 2nd, 2022 [April 2nd, 2022]
- Today in History: Today is Saturday, March 19, the 78th day of 2022. - wausaupilotandreview.com - March 20th, 2022 [March 20th, 2022]
- CT version of Stand your ground faces opposition in key committee - CT Insider - March 20th, 2022 [March 20th, 2022]
- Kyle Rittenhouse Gas Meme of Him Crying at the Pump Viewed Over 1M Times - Newsweek - March 18th, 2022 [March 18th, 2022]
- Letters to the Editor: Feb. 26, 2022 - TCPalm - March 4th, 2022 [March 4th, 2022]
- 'This is what makes America what it is': educators taught to include Black history through the year - North Country Public Radio - March 4th, 2022 [March 4th, 2022]
- Trayvon Martin, 10 years later: Teen's death changes ... - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- Trayvon Martin 10th anniversary: A look at the players - ABC News - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- Who Is George Hofstetter, Who Created The 'CopStop' App As A Teenager? - Oxygen - January 20th, 2022 [January 20th, 2022]
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Seattle and was not welcomed - NBC Right Now - January 20th, 2022 [January 20th, 2022]
- Who Is George Hofstetter, Who Created The 'CopStop' App As A Teenager? - Yahoo Entertainment - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Family of Emmett Till and more reflect on his funeral, killers' trial - ABC News - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Black Lives Matters Co-Founder Alicia Garza Never Expected The Movement To Get So Big - Oxygen - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- The Re-Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. - City Watch - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Opinion: With COVID-19 and firearms, are Americans fighting another civil war? - Iowa City Press-Citizen - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Ahmaud Arbery verdict reached 9 years after the deaths of Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin - 11Alive.com WXIA - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Two Days Before Rittenhouse Verdict, a Native Woman Was Imprisoned for Killing Her Alleged Rapist Mother Jones - Mother Jones - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Rob Reiner Stirs Online Controversy With Take on Kyle Rittenhouse - We Got This Covered - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Losing Confidence in the Pillars of Our Civilization - RealClearPolitics - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- The Rittenhouse syndrome: Has America crossed the Rubicon? - Salon - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Redrawing the Map: Grassroots organization trains Black college students and young professionals on the importance of redistricting - Southern Poverty... - September 30th, 2021 [September 30th, 2021]