Rachel Maddow is bringing her next documentary project to MSNBC, spotlighting one of the most influential figures of the Civil Rights Movement.
The network has acquired Andrew Young: The Dirty Work, directed by Matt Kay and produced through Maddow’s Surprise Inside production company. The film examines the life and legacy of Andrew Young, a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, Congressman, U.S. ambassador, and two-term mayor of Atlanta. It is scheduled to premiere on Friday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. ET, following a special edition of The Rachel Maddow Show dedicated to Young.
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“At a time when confrontations with government and grassroots protests are once again shaping American politics, the civil rights movement offers more than history — it’s a guide for how to stand up, fight, and win, while staying true to yourself,” Maddow said in a statement. “Andrew Young’s story is not polished nostalgia. It’s the gritty truth about what it takes to sustain a movement and the beauty that comes from that struggle. Andrew Young: The Dirty Work is about how hard it is to be a hero — and how meaningful, too.”
An extended preview will debut on Oct. 11 during MSNBCLIVE ’25: This Is Who We Are, the network’s annual fan event in New York.
The 93-year-old Young narrates much of the documentary himself, tracing his journey from his beginnings as a pastor to his central role in the Civil Rights Movement. (He was portrayed by André Holland in the 2014 film Selma.) The film also revisits his groundbreaking political career, from his election as a U.S. Representative from Georgia to his appointment as ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter, and later his two terms as Atlanta’s mayor.
Reflecting on his life’s work, Young explains the meaning of the title: “the dirty work” — the quiet, difficult labor behind landmark social change. “I was born at the right time and happened to be at the right places to be part of the Civil Rights Movement that helped change America,” he said in a statement.
Andrew Young: The Dirty Work follows Surprise Inside’s debut production, From Russia With Lev, which premiered in 2024 to 2.2 million viewers and went on to earn a nomination for the 2025 News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
