On June 18, 1964, the Monson Motor Lodge in St. Augustine, Florida became infamous. A sit-in at its segregated pool had been organized by Martin Luther King Jr., who had joined the St. Augustine movement.
A newspaper photograph of the hotel owner pouring acid into a pool full of civil rights protestors outraged the nation and horrified the Black community. The photograph also caught the attention of Malcolm X, who supposedly opposed Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance.
The assumption that Dr. King and Malcolm X didn’t support each other couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, after seeing the racist violence in St. Augustine, Malcolm sent King a telegram offering “to dispatch some of our brothers there to organize self-defense units among our people.”
Research has revealed that in a 1965 interview, Alex Haley fabricated Dr. King’s criticism of Malcolm X. Malcolm X and Dr. King certainly disagreed on tactics, but they loved their people and each other. We can correct the historical record by preaching the truth about their unity.
Despite their differences, they both believed in a liberated future for their people. Because of this, they also believed in each other. We should do the same, even when we disagree.