Read, Watch, Go: “Little Movements,” “Andrew Young: The Dirty Work,” and Memphis, TN

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Monday. Skimm HQ is off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday and national day of service that honors the late civil rights leader — and his tireless fight against inequality and racial injustice. (For a deeper understanding of the holiday and its history, read this.) But we always want to keep you informed, so we’ve got five things to know to start your day, plus one book, one movie, and one travel destination to consider in honor of today’s holiday. 

— theSkimm editors

Little Movements by Lauren Morrow

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Sometimes landing your dream job is actually kind of a nightmare. Just ask Layla in Lauren Morrow’s Little Movements. When she’s invited to spend nine months creating a modern-dance piece for a group of Black dancers at an elite arts program in rural Vermont, the aspiring choreographer takes the leap (sorry, jeté), leaving her job, her husband, and her entire New York life behind. As Layla settles into the overwhelmingly white town, reality sets in: She faces constant microaggressions, troubling revelations about the institution come to light, and an unexpected pregnancy threatens to upend everything. So it’s no surprise Layla starts to second-guess everything. We asked Morrow a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: What’s one thing that makes you laugh without fail?

A: John Travolta introducing Idina Menzel as “Adele Dazeem” at the 2014 Oscars. I just watched it again to double-check, and I’m currently in tears.

Q:What’s one recipe everyone should make?

A: I adore this curried sweet potato soup recipe. It happens to be vegan, but even my omnivorous family immediately raved about it after I shared the recipe with them.

Q: What’s the last social media post you sent to your friends?

A: There are a lot of funny videos of Ginuwine performing — including, crucially, at Sea World. His moves and vocal choices are sometimes bizarre, but always endearing.

A Gripping Documentary Tells the Story of the Man Who Did the “Dirty Work” for MLK

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Apologies for the ninth grade US history pop quiz, but does Andrew Young ring a bell? The civil rights leader doesn’t get quite the same name recognition as Martin Luther King Jr. — but a recently released documentary aims to change that. In Andrew Young: The Dirty Work (available on Hulu), the now 93-year-old charts his early days as a pastor to his role as King’s right-hand man, thanks to his willingness to do, as the title suggests, the “dirty work.” Spoiler: It’s not as unsavory as it sounds (think: responding to letters sent to King, traveling ahead of him to meet with local clergy and business leaders). Executive produced by Rachel Maddow, the gripping film also follows Young after King’s assassination, including his career in public service as a Georgia congressman, US ambassador to the UN, and mayor of Atlanta in the 1980s. “I have lived much of the dream that [King] was speaking about,” Young says in the documentary. “It was well worth my time to sit down and spell it out.” Hard agree.

Blues, Barbecue, and Civil Rights History — This Underrated Southern City Deserves Your Attention

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When it comes to places that shaped Martin Luther King Jr., Atlanta (rightfully) gets most of the attention. But to truly understand his life and legacy, head a few hours northwest to Memphis. Not only is it the location of King’s 1968 assasination, but several of the city’s most beloved sites pay homage to the Civil Rights Movement — just a few reasons to visit what may be the South’s most underrated city. Some others include: sprawling green spaces (like the recently revitalized Tom Lee Park); vibrant neighborhoods (Cooper-Young is a must); and an unparalleled music scene, which is to be expected from the official home of the blues and the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll. Oh, and did we mention the best ribs of your life?

🧠 Housed in and around the former Lorraine Motel, the National Civil Rights Museum walks visitors through the history of the Civil Rights Movement. You can hear leaders and activists tell their own stories, climb aboard a bus like the one where Rosa Parks made history, take a seat at a lunch counter from the sit-in era, and peer inside the room where King spent his final hours.

⛪ In support of the Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike, King traveled to the historic Mason Temple on the evening of April 3, 1968, and delivered his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. The building now serves as the headquarters for the Church of God in Christ, but you can visit as part of a larger African-American heritage tour.

🎶 Most museums frown on dancing in their halls. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music practically insists on it. Located at the old studio of Stax Records, where greats like Otis Redding and Carla Thomas recorded their hits, the cultural institution includes more than 2,000 artifacts and pieces of memorabilia, including Isaac Hayes's decked-out Cadillac Eldorado, a humble wooden chapel, and a re-created studio.

🎤 When you’re done, make a beeline for Beale Street. Once home to many Black-owned businesses and restaurants, it’s now the epicenter of the city's music scene. Don’t miss: B.B. King’s Blues Club for big names in blues, soul, and rock; Blues City Cafe, where the catfish rivals the live performances; Silky O’Sullivans for its dueling piano shows; and Strange Cargo for delightfully kitschy souvenirs. 

🍴 Eat like a king at The Four Way Restaurant — and we mean that literally, since it was one of King’s go-to soul food spots. Order the fried green tomatoes (served on a BLT for Saturday brunch), the mac and cheese, and the peach cobbler. Wash it all down with a Four Way VIP, a sweet tea and lemonade mix regulars swear by.

Extra Credit

Move

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