
Genius: MLK / X’: How Score and Songs Illuminate the Work of 1960s Civil Rights Leaders
By Jon Burlingame
“I felt not only that it was important, but that I had an obligation to be a part of it,” says composer Terence Blanchard about writing the score for National Geographic’s “Genius: MLK / X,” the eight-part series about the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
“Growing up in New Orleans, being a serious believer in the teachings of Martin Luther King, and then learning about Malcolm X, I understand how important it is for young people to know this history,” says the two-time Oscar nominee (“Da 5 Bloods,” “BlacKkKlansman”) and multiple Grammy winner.
Music supervisor Amani (Burt Blackarach) Smith agrees. “Learning about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King when I was in high school and college completely shaped and changed how I started to appro...