'Genius: MLK/X' Sheds a New Light on Malcolm X & Betty Shabazz’s Rocky Marriage in This Exclusive Clip

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While there may be variations across the world, everyone is somewhat familiar with the expression “Behind every man is an even greater woman.” And while we can all agree that that is undeniably true, the new National Geographic show Genius: MLK/X gives it a whole new light.

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The series, which is available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, takes viewers into both the private and public lives of civil rights advocates and many times adversaries Malcolm X (played by Aaron Pierre) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr.). In the fifth episode of the limited series, which premieres tomorrow Feb. 15, viewers learn more about Malcolm X’s relationship with his wife Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson) and MLK Jr.’s marriage to Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia).

“Pressures and expectations take a toll on Coretta and Betty,” reads the synopsis of the episode, titled “Matriarchs.” “They each question their resolve and decisions as they navigate the rigors of a public persona and private life.”

In a clip provided exclusively to SheKnows ahead of tomorrow’s episode, we see a glimpse of a conversation between Betty and her mother, Ollie Mae Sanders (played by Michael Hyatt).

“The Housewives League and the NAACP are hosting a fundraiser tea and fashion show next week, too bad you won’t be here to attend,” Ollie tells her daughter, who seems anxious as she walks around the house. “I left Malcolm,” she then admits while sitting down at the table.

“So you will be able to attend,” Ollie responds dryly.

“I don’t know, I don’t know what I’m doing,” Betty says. “I mean I know I couldn’t stay, four years ago I was supposed to be a nurse and now I don’t recognize my life or my place in it.”

Her mother, noticing her panic, tries to calm her down. “Slow down, B,” she says.

“Malcolm took away my class and he won’t talk about it,” Betty continues. “I don’t know how to make him understand. And he hasn’t even called to see if Attallah and I are okay! This is the man that I have to spend the rest of my life with.”

As a reminder, Shabazz and Malcolm X were married from 1958 until his tragic assassination in 1965. Over the years, the two welcomed six kids Qubilah, Attallah, Gamilah Lumumba, Ilyasah, Malaak, and Malikah.

“Betty, I don’t understand,” Ollie then says to her daughter. “I don’t know how to be a wife,” Betty confesses. “The first time we were alone together was on our wedding night and now we have a child and then there’s all the politics of the nation.”

“Betty, I don’t know what you want me to tell you,” Ollie responds. “I want you to tell me how to do this.”

While the mother-daughter conversation seems relatable to any woman who’s struggled to find their footing as a wife or a mother, seeing such a raw conversation between these historical figures is all the more enlightening.

To find out more about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.’s lives and relationships, and their wives’ impact on American history, be sure to check out the rest of the season Genius: MLK/X. Two episodes air every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on National Geographic and are available to stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

Before you go, click here to see movies about real-life Black women who changed history.

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