Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, now 93, reflects on his behind-the-scenes contributions to the civil rights movement alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in a new documentary, Andrew Young: The Dirty Work, premiering Friday at 9 p.m. Eastern on MSNBC.
Young said he often handled “the dirty work” during the 1960s struggle for racial equality—tasks that didn’t make headlines but were vital to sustaining the movement. Executive producer Rachel Maddow chose the phrase as both the film’s title and its central theme after hearing Young describe his role that way.
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In a series of six recording sessions, Young recounted how he joined King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, initially answering King’s mail and later becoming his trusted strategist and advance organizer. “You didn’t get to take part in marches,” Young recalled. “You were always in the back of the line. But I wasn’t seeking recognition. I just kept doing what needed to be done.”
Young played a critical role in preparing communities for King’s campaigns, meeting with clergy, business leaders, and local officials to explain the movement’s goals—even to those who disagreed. His efforts often defused tensions and laid the groundwork for successful demonstrations.
One exception came in 1964, when King sent Young to St. Augustine, Florida, to avoid confrontation with the Ku Klux Klan while the U.S. Senate debated the Civil Rights Act. Instead, Young was beaten by white supremacists—an event that sparked public outrage and helped push the legislation through. “It was the most successful ass-whuppin’ I ever received,” he says in the film.
After King’s assassination in 1968, Young initially planned to continue working behind the scenes but decided to run for public office when others hesitated. He went on to win a seat in Congress, serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter, and later become mayor of Atlanta in the 1980s.
Maddow said hearing Young’s stories changed her perspective on courage and sacrifice. “Bravery sounds romantic in theory,” she said, “but in practice, it’s about pain, loss, and perseverance. Ambassador Young captures that truth beautifully.”
The documentary also explores internal tensions within King’s movement, showing that even among those united by purpose, there were disagreements on how to achieve justice. For Maddow, the film aligns with her broader work on Americans who have resisted authoritarian impulses across eras.
“With everything happening in our country right now,” she said, “it’s more important than ever to learn from people who fought for democracy—and won against extraordinary odds.”
Young concludes the film with gratitude and resolve: “I have lived much of the dream that Dr. King spoke about,” he says. “And even now, I don’t believe my work is done. It was well worth my time to sit down and spell it out.”
