Andrew Young

Andrew Young
Rob Croes for Anefo · CC0 · source
Name	Andrew Young
Caption	Young in 1977
Office	United States Ambassador to the United Nations
President	Jimmy Carter
Term start	January 30, 1977
Term end	August 15, 1979
Predecessor	William Scranton
Successor	Donald McHenry
Office1	55th Mayor of Atlanta
Term start1	January 4, 1982
Term end1	January 2, 1990
Predecessor1	Maynard Jackson
Successor1	Maynard Jackson
Office2	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th congressional district
Term start2	January 3, 1973
Term end2	January 29, 1977
Predecessor2	Fletcher Thompson
Successor2	Wyche Fowler
Birth name	Andrew Jackson Young Jr.
Birth date	12 March 1932
Birth place	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Jean Childs Young (m. 1954; died 1994), Carolyn McClain Young (m. 1996)
Education	Dillard University, Howard University (BS), Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (BDiv)

Andrew Young is an American politician, diplomat, and activist who was a key strategist and organizer in the Civil rights movement. He served as a United States Congressman, United States Ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter, and later as the Mayor of Atlanta. His career has bridged the struggle for African-American equality with mainstream political and international diplomacy, significantly influencing the economic and global profile of the Southern United States.

Early life and education

Andrew Jackson Young Jr. was born on March 12, 1932, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a middle-class family; his father was a dentist and his mother a teacher. He attended Dillard University for a year before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in biology from Howard University in 1951. Feeling a call to the ministry, he then earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace in Connecticut in 1955. His early pastoral work was in Marion, Alabama, and Thomasville, Georgia, where he first confronted the realities of Jim Crow laws.

Civil rights movement

In 1957, Young moved to New York City to work with the National Council of Churches, but he soon returned to the South to join the burgeoning freedom struggle. He became a close aide to Martin Luther King Jr., serving as a key negotiator and executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Young helped organize major campaigns including the Birmingham campaign, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the Selma to Montgomery marches. His pragmatic approach and ability to communicate with white leaders and federal officials, such as Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, were instrumental in achieving legislative victories like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Political career

After King's assassination in 1968, Young entered electoral politics. In 1972, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th congressional district, becoming the first African American congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction. In Congress, he served on the Banking and Currency Committee and was an advocate for social programs, labor rights, and the interests of the Atlanta metropolitan area. His tenure in the House of Representatives established him as a leading voice for the New South.

Diplomatic service

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Young as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, a cabinet-level position. In this role, he championed a foreign policy focused on human rights and economic development in the Third World, particularly in Africa and the Caribbean. He fostered dialogue with leaders of non-aligned nations and was a vocal critic of apartheid in South Africa. His diplomatic career ended controversially in 1979 after unauthorized meetings with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization, leading to his resignation.

Later career and legacy

Returning to Georgia, Young was elected Mayor of Atlanta in 1981, succeeding Maynard Jackson. During his two terms, he continued to promote the city as an international hub, securing the 1996 Summer Olympics and attracting global corporations. After leaving office, he co-chaired the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and remained active in business, serving as chairman of GoodWorks International. His legacy is that of a bridge-builder who translated the moral force of the Civil rights movement into political and economic power, playing a pivotal role in the transformation of Atlanta and advocating for a more inclusive American foreign policy.

Category:1932 births Category:American civil rights activists Category:Ambassadors of the United States to the United Nations Category:Mayors of Atlanta Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia Category:Living people