A famous, oft-repeated quote from Martin Luther King Jr about fellow activist Malcom X, in which the latter is denounced for his “fiery, demagogic oratory,” is a fake, according to the author of a forthcoming King biography.
For years, students of history were taught that King had denounced Malcom X in a 1965 interview with Playboy, a quote which fed into a historical narrative of the two men as polar opposites when their relationship and views were far more nuanced. The magazine piece is King’s longest print interview, and has served as an important reference for his overall views.
