One Night in Miami
, focuses on real-life heroes in a fictional story. Adapted from the play by Kemp Powers, it follows boxer Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), civil rights leader Malcolm X, NFL star Jim Brown, and singer Sam Cooke, all in a motel room after Clay wins the title of heavyweight champion of the world. But instead of ringing in the victory with a big party, the quartet have a laid-back night in, falling into deep conversations and debates about race, faith, freedom, and what true equality really means.
These four men did meet.
The historic specifics of the night are unclear, but such a gathering did occur. Powers came across an account of that fateful meeting while researching the intersection of sports and the civil rights movement, and was ultimately inspired to write the play. “The focus was Muhammad Ali and it mentioned that specific night and the fact that when Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston, he went back to Malcolm X’s hotel room with Sam Cooke and Jim Brown,” he told