Malcom X, Dr. King meet in play

    “I have a dream tonight,” the valiant leader proclaimed.  “I’m…sorry, that’s your line.”
    A sheepish smile curved Malcolm X’s lips as he returned to the table where he and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were engaged in an on-going arm wrestling match. The Harlem hotel room was pregnant with tension; although they were having a friendly bout, both knew their quarrel was more than physical.
    It was February 1965, in the midst of the grueling battle for equality.  King and Malcolm X were grappling with the racism of politicians, educators and the public.  Although the endgame was the same for both, they had opposing views on how to attain their vision. 
    King was a Baptist minister and was an advocate for peace and racial equality by nonviolent measures.  Malcolm X encouraged followers to attain equality by any means necessary.  He allowed and even encouraged force.  They came together that night to reach an agreement.
    In truth, King and Malcolm X only met once, briefly.  This fictional conversation is a scene in Jeff Stetson’s award-winning play, “The Meeting,” which focuses on an imaginary dialogue between the two revolutionary Civil Rights leaders.   
    GCSU’s Black Student Alliance hosted the play last Thursday night. Stephanie Raines, a senior art history major said the play was wonderfully acted.
    “I was amazed at how much their voices sounded just like [King and Malcolm X],” Raines said.
    Freshman Christy Clark said the play had a humorous edge that she found interesting.
    “You know what everyone knows, but the play gave more insight into their personalities,” Clark said.
    Doris Tandongfor, a nursing student, has lived in the United States less than five years.  She said the play showed the progress King and Malcolm X made and how far America has come since then.
    “They were both so different, but they were working for the same cause,” Tandongfor said.  “They were working apart but they accomplished more than if it was just one person.”
    Ilse Fisher, interim director of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, said this play captures the differences of the two men’s philosophies and the potential they could have had together.
    “They were both incredibly important in the movement, but they went about it differently,” Fisher said.  “The play will make people aware of what they were about.”
    BSA President Audia Jones said the play focuses on what would have happened if King and Malcolm X met and joined forces to combat inequality.
    “A lot of change has been made because of their impact on society, but if they came together, maybe change would have happened sooner,” Jones said.
    Jones said the impact King made was profound for Milledgeville and GCSU.
    “The fact that we have BSA and that our campus is integrated and has transformed today shows Martin Luther King had a huge impact on it,” Jones said.
    Jones sees the exisitence of organizations like BSA as a testament to the progress that has been made. 
    “In smaller towns people are set in their ways and don’t change as quickly,” Jones said.  “To see BSA and a NAACP chapter on campus shows that Dr. King had an impact on Milledgeville.”
    King and others like him demanded racial equality and justice and the demand became a revolutionary triumph for social change.  The waves of his victory can still be felt.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Jan 26 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry