In 1965, journalist Alex Haley published an interview with Martin Luther King Jr.—the longest he ever gave—in Playboy magazine. The piece famously includes quotes from King that are critical of Malcolm X:
I totally disagree with many of his political and philosophical views—at least insofar as I understand where he now stands. … I have often wished that he would talk less of violence, because violence is not going to solve our problem. And in his litany of articulating the despair of the Negro without offering any positive, creative alternative, I feel that Malcolm has done himself and our people a great disservice. Fiery, demagogic oratory in the Black ghettos, urging Negroes to arm themselves and prepare to engage in violence, as he has done, can reap nothing but grief.
For decades, King’s comments have been repeated in history books and classrooms across the country. But now, new research suggests that Haley fabricated them.
