By Coral Gables Gazette staff
On a warm night in February 1964, four young men gathered in a modest motel room in Miami. One had just become the heavyweight champion of the world. Another stood at the forefront of the civil rights movement. A third commanded audiences with his voice, while the fourth was redefining what an athlete could become beyond the field. Their conversation—private, intense, and consequential—captured a turning point in American cultural and political life.
On Monday, Feb. 23, Coral Gables Art Cinema will revisit that moment with a special one-night screening of One Night in Miami…, followed by a live panel discussion with historian Dr. Marvin Dunn and Historic Hampton House CEO Curb Gardner. Presented as part of Black History Month programming, the evening will connect cinematic storytelling with Miami’s own deeply rooted civil rights history.
A historic night imagined through film
Directed by Academy Award–winning actress Regina King in her feature directorial debut, One Night in Miami… re-creates the evening when Cassius Clay—soon to be known as Muhammad Ali—celebrated his stunning defeat of Sonny Liston. Instead of attending public festivities, Clay gathered privately with Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke, and football star Jim Brown.
The film, adapted from Kemp Powers’s acclaimed stage play, imagines the emotional and intellectual exchange that unfolded behind closed doors. Each man stood at a crossroads. Clay faced a spiritual transformation that would reshape his public identity. Malcolm X navigated growing tensions that would soon place him in personal danger. Cooke wrestled with the balance between artistic success and social responsibility. Brown considered his future beyond professional sports.
Their discussion explored fame, activism, identity, and obligation—questions that continue to resonate today.
King’s direction emphasizes intimacy over spectacle. The camera remains close, allowing performances to carry emotional weight. Dialogue drives the narrative, revealing how each man understood his role in a rapidly changing society.
The result is a film that feels both historical and immediate.
Miami as both setting and symbol
The choice of Miami as the story’s setting carries profound significance. During the 1960s, the city existed as both a glamorous destination and a place shaped by racial segregation and inequality.
Many Black performers and public figures, including those depicted in the film, stayed at the Hampton House in Brownsville, one of the few hotels that welcomed Black guests during segregation. The Hampton House became a cultural and political gathering place, hosting artists, activists, and athletes who helped define an era.
That legacy continues today.
Curb Gardner, who will participate in the post-film discussion, leads the Hampton House’s transformation into a museum dedicated to preserving the history of civil rights and Black excellence in Miami. His work connects directly to the film’s themes, grounding its narrative in the lived experiences of the city’s own past.
A conversation that bridges past and present
The panel discussion following the screening will deepen that connection. Dr. Marvin Dunn, a pioneering historian of Black Miami, has spent decades documenting stories often absent from traditional historical narratives. His books and scholarship trace the experiences of Black communities across Florida, offering essential context for understanding the city’s development.
Dunn brings not only academic expertise, but personal experience. Born during the Jim Crow era, he has witnessed firsthand the social transformations depicted in the film.
Together, Dunn and Gardner will explore how the issues raised in One Night in Miami…—leadership, identity, and social responsibility—continue to shape American life.
Their conversation will transform the screening from a cinematic event into a civic one.
Coral Gables Art Cinema’s role in cultural dialogue
Since its founding, Coral Gables Art Cinema has distinguished itself by presenting films that combine artistic excellence with cultural relevance. Its programming often pairs screenings with expert discussions, allowing audiences to engage more deeply with the ideas explored on screen.
Events like this reflect the cinema’s broader mission: to create a space where film serves as a catalyst for reflection and conversation.
In this case, the subject carries particular local resonance. Miami’s role in the civil rights era remains underappreciated, despite its importance as both battleground and refuge.
By revisiting that history through film and dialogue, the Art Cinema reinforces its role as a cultural institution committed to intellectual engagement.
Why this story endures
More than six decades after the events depicted in the film, the questions its characters confront remain unresolved. How should public figures use their influence? What responsibilities accompany success? How does one balance personal ambition with collective progress?
These questions transcend era and circumstance.
One Night in Miami… invites viewers to witness a moment when four individuals confronted those questions directly, shaping not only their own futures but the trajectory of American culture.
For audiences in Coral Gables, the screening offers both artistic experience and historical reflection.
It brings the past into dialogue with the present, in the very city where that history unfolded.
Event details
One Night in Miami…
Monday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
Coral Gables Art Cinema
Film followed by panel discussion with Dr. Marvin Dunn and Curb Gardner
Tickets: $8 (members), $11.75 and under (nonmembers)
