Civil rights icon Andrew Young is opening up about the rumored feud between Malcolm X and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
On Oct. 23, Young visited “The Breakfast Club” to promote his new documentary “Andrew Young: The Dirty Work.” While there, Young offered his candid perspective on the relationship between Dr. King and Malcolm X, dismissing the popular narrative that pitted the two men against each other. Instead, he explained that the men had a healthy mutual respect, which was minimized publicly as a strategic move.
“You know, there was no issue,” Young said. “The difference was that Martin Luther King learned in college, Malcolm X learned in jail, but Malcolm X read the dictionary and the Bible.”
Young’s reflection turns on a specific moment in Harlem after King’s Nobel Prize recognition. He recalled that when King entered through a back door at an armory event, he was greeted by Malcolm X and then-New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller.
“Malcolm X said, ‘I just wanted to thank you for all that you’ve done. And I want you to know that I am with you in anything you want me to do,’” Young shared.
He added that Malcolm then explained his reluctance to appear publicly with King: “But I think that it’s probably better strategy if you and I don’t seem to be so close,” Young quoted.
Source: Andrew Young Talks Malcolm, Martin, And Doing ‘The Dirty Work’
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