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 up to date, so we’re bringing you three things to know to start your day, plus one book, one movie, and one travel destination to consider in honor of today’s holiday.
Yesterday morning, a 42-day ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect. Shortly after it began, Hamas released three female hostages, who reunited with family members in Israel. In exchange, Israel freed about 90 Palestinian prisoners, all women and teens. During the first phase of the agreement, which was reached following months of negotiations, Hamas will release a total of 33 hostages — alive and dead — over six weeks, while Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Additionally, there will be an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, with hundreds of trucks delivering food and medical supplies daily. Negotiations over the ceasefire’s second stage, which are expected to begin in just over two weeks and have been described as “far more difficult,” could bring about the release of the remaining hostages and more Palestinian prisoners, and a permanent end to the war.
That didn’t last long. Less than a day after TikTok went dark in the US, the company restored service to users on Sunday — after, according to TikTok, President-elect Donald Trump provided “the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he’d issue an executive order today that would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect” and that “there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.” All of the back and forth comes after the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Friday that it would uphold the federal law to cease TikTok operations in the US unless its Chinese parent company sells it to American buyers. The Biden admin said enforcement of the ban would be up to Trump to implement.
Colored Television by Danzy Senna
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Beginning with her 1998 debut novel, Caucasia, Danzy Senna has used fiction to chronicle the experience of mixed-race people like herself. In her latest work, Colored Television, biracial novelist Jane Gibson confronts an age-old conundrum: How do you make art and make a living. After she’s spent almost 10 years toiling over what she believes will be her magnum opus — a sprawling saga that her husband dubs a “mulatto War and Peace” — Jane’s agent declares it unsellable, going so far as to suggest she stop writing about “the whole mixed-race thing.” So, lured by the promise of a Hollywood paycheck, Jane dives headfirst into television writing. She bluffs her way into a meeting with a young hotshot producer, pitches what turns into “the Jackie Robinson of biracial comedies,” and finally, things are looking up for Jane…until they aren’t. We asked Senna a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…
Q: What should be required reading for every human being?
Senna: Child stars of the 1980s who ended up dead or in prison.
Q: What’s your favorite unapologetic indulgence?
Senna: 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
This Shirley Chisholm Biopic Will Inspire You to Run for Office
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You’re probably familiar with the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., but what about the story of Shirley Chisholm? Almost exactly 53 years ago, on Jan 25, 1972, the nation’s first Black congresswoman formally announced her trailblazing campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination — becoming the first Black person (and the first woman) to do so. That audacious, barrier-breaking run is now chronicled in Netflix’s Shirley, a punchy docudrama written and directed by Oscar winner John Ridley and starring fellow Academy Award winner Regina King as Chisholm. Before delivering a “spot-on depiction” of the “unbought and unbossed” politician, King, along with her sister, Reina (who plays Chisholm’s sister Muriel), spent 15 years getting it made. Because, according to Reina, “The world should know, the country should know, women should know, people should know, kids should know [who Chisholm was].” We couldn’t agree more.
Come for the Civil Rights History, Stay for the Southern Charm
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From Montgomery, Alabama, to Boston, Massachusetts, Martin Luther King Jr., left his mark on cities across the country. But perhaps none more so than Atlanta, Georgia — the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement and the place where King was born and raised. Today, several of the city’s most cherished sites celebrate King’s life, which is just one of many reasons to visit the de facto capital of the South. Some others include: a flourishing arts scene (the High Museum of Art is well worth the visit); sprawling green spaces (see: the 22-mile Atlanta Beltline and Piedmont Park, essentially the ATL equivalent of Central Park); buzzy restaurants (don’t miss Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours); destination-worthy neighborhoods (like Summerhill and Virginia-Highland); and, yes, an abundance of Southern charm.
🛏 If you’re able to reserve The Hamilton Howell House, you should. Located in the heart of the historic Old Fourth Ward, the four-bedroom home was built by acclaimed Black architect Alexander Hamilton Jr. in 1893 and has since been beautifully restored. Traveling alone or with a small group? Check out the exceptionally hip Hotel Clermont, with more than 90 chic, retro-influenced rooms (think: velvet headboards, lightbulb sconces) and a highly regarded French-Southern brasserie.
🍴 Two of the spots where King met, planned, and ate with fellow civil rights crusaders are still open for business: The Busy Bee (the soul food institution first opened in the 1940s and was one of King’s spots for pecan pie) and Paschal’s Restaurant (known for serving some of the city’s most legendary fried chicken). Additionally, make sure to stop by some of Atlanta’s newer Black-owned restaurants, like Michelin-recognized Bomb Biscuit Co. (as the name implies, the biscuits, ranging from classic buttermilk to black pepper bacon, are a must) and French-inspired café Bread & Butterfly, which the New York Times namedone the best restaurants in America last year.
Built around the former Lorraine Motel — where MLK was assassinated in 1968 — the National Civil Rights Museum is well worth a visit. But if you can’t make it to Memphis, the museum’s Instagram is the next best thing. The account’s #OnThisDay series spotlights lesser-known moments from MLK’s life, as well as other significant people and events in civil rights history.
Researchers Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens know firsthand how tricky it can be to talk to kids about race, racism, and bias. That’s part of the reason the husband-and-wife team started The Conscious Kid, an education, research, and policy organization that recommends children’s books featuring a variety of racial backgrounds.
Since 2015, Black Archives, founded by multidisciplinary artist Renata Cherlise, has compiled and curated mostly never-before-seen photos of Black people going to church, attending high school proms, celebrating birthdays, and doing other everyday things. The collection of images — most of which come from institutional archives and families across the country — are part of an effort to bring “a spotlight to the Black experience” according to the Black Archives website, “providing insight and inspiration to those seeking to understand the legacies that preceded their own.”
We Want to Know…
Would you say there’s a connection between financial confidence and self-care? We’re launching a survey to get tangible data that can help create a future where more women lead not just in finance, but in all areas of life.
Trending products and brands our shopping team has been loving recently.
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We're deeply into this exfoliating body scrub. Brown sugar sloughs away rough skin, while jojoba and sweet almond oils leave skin soft and hydrated. A big tub costs under $10.
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PS: Want more product recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram.
Game Time
Wake your brain up this Monday with a game of Flipart. Just rotate the pieces to fit within the frame and get ready to feel the rush when they all fall into place. Get into it.
Have a book, recipe, or travel rec? Or, a dicey etiquette question you want answered by an expert? Submit them here.
Skimm’d by: Rashaan Ayesh, Claudia Rupcich, Taylor Trudon, Melissa Goldberg, and Margaret Wheeler Johnson. Fact-checked by Jordan Mamone.
Photos by Photos by Riverhead Books, Glen Wilson/Netflix, Sean Pavone via iStock, wellesenterprises via iStock, Dukas/Contributor via Getty Images, Scholastic, Evening Standard/Stringer via Getty Images, Brand Partners
