Andrew Young facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Andrew Young
Young in 2013

55th Mayor of Atlanta
In office January 4, 1982 – January 2, 1990
Preceded by	Maynard Jackson
Succeeded by	Maynard Jackson
14th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
In office January 30, 1977 – September 23, 1979
President	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	William Scranton
Succeeded by	Donald McHenry
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th district
In office January 3, 1973 – January 29, 1977
Preceded by	Fletcher Thompson
Succeeded by	Wyche Fowler

Personal details
Born	Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (1932-03-12) March 12, 1932 (age 93) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Jean Childs (m. 1954; ~~her death~~ 1994) Carolyn McClain (m. 1996)
Children	4
Education	Howard University (BS) Hartford Seminary (BDiv)

Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (born March 12, 1932) is an American leader. He has been a politician, a diplomat, and an activist. Young started his career as a pastor. He became an important leader in the civil rights movement. He worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr.

Later, Young entered politics. He served as a U.S. Congressman for Georgia. He was also the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. This was during the Carter Administration. He then became the 55th Mayor of Atlanta. He was the first African American elected to Congress from Georgia since the Reconstruction period. He was also one of the first two African Americans elected to Congress from the former Confederacy since Reconstruction, along with Barbara Jordan of Texas. After leaving public office, Young has continued to work for public policy and human rights.

Andrew Young: A Life of Service
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Andrew Young: A Life of Service

Early Life and Education

Andrew Young was born on March 12, 1932. His birthplace was New Orleans, Louisiana. His mother, Daisy Young, was a schoolteacher. His father, Andrew Jackson Young, was a dentist. Young's father even hired a boxer to teach Andrew and his brother how to defend themselves.

Young remembered the challenges of segregation in New Orleans. Even though his family was well-off, they saw the unfairness. His parents tried to give their children a good life.

Young first attended Dillard University. He then graduated from Howard University. In 1955, he earned a divinity degree from Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Young became a pastor in Marion, Alabama. There, he met Jean Childs, who later became his wife. He became very interested in Mahatma Gandhi's idea of nonviolent resistance. This was a way to bring about social change peacefully.

He encouraged African Americans in Alabama to register to vote. This was a dangerous time, and he sometimes faced threats. During this period, he became a close friend and supporter of Martin Luther King Jr..

In 1957, Young and Jean moved to New York City. He worked for the Youth Division of the National Council of Churches. He also appeared on a TV show called Look Up and Live. This show aimed to connect with young people.

In 1960, Young joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1961. He worked to help black citizens register to vote. Young played a key role in the 1963 events in Birmingham, Alabama. He helped both white and black communities talk to each other during protests.

In 1964, Young became the executive director of the SCLC. As a friend of Martin Luther King Jr., he helped plan and negotiate during major Civil Rights Campaigns. These included Birmingham (1963), St. Augustine (1964), Selma (1965), and Atlanta (1966). He was even jailed for taking part in these peaceful protests.

The Civil Rights Movement led to important laws being passed. These were the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Young was with Dr. King in Memphis when Dr. King was assassinated in 1968.

Serving in Congress

In 1970, Andrew Young ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. He ran as a Democrat for Georgia's 5th District. He did not win that election. But he ran again in 1972 and won! He was re-elected in 1974 and 1976.

During his time in Congress, he was part of the Congressional Black Caucus. He worked on foreign relations issues. He also sat on important committees. Young was against the Vietnam War. He helped create the U.S. Institute for Peace. He also helped establish the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. He worked to get federal money for Atlanta's public transportation, MARTA.

Ambassador to the United Nations

Ambassador Young, calling from New York City on a secure phone during peace talks.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter chose Young to be the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Young was the first African American to hold this important position.

Young worked on many global issues. He played a key role in helping Rhodesia become the new country of Republic of Zimbabwe in 1979. He worked with leaders like Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo. This helped end a war and bring about a new government.

During his time as ambassador, Young sometimes made comments that caused public debate. For example, he met with a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). This meeting was controversial because the U.S. had a policy of not meeting directly with the PLO at that time. News of the meeting became public. President Carter asked Young to resign, and his ambassadorship ended in August 1979.

Mayor of Atlanta

In 1981, Andrew Young ran for mayor of Atlanta. Many people encouraged him, including Coretta Scott King. He won the election with 55% of the votes. He took over from Maynard Jackson.

As mayor, Young brought in a lot of new business investments to Atlanta. He continued programs that helped businesses owned by minorities and women get city contracts. He also helped improve education. The Mayor's Task Force on Education helped triple the college scholarships given to Atlanta public school graduates.

In 1985, he helped renovate the Atlanta Zoo, which was renamed Zoo Atlanta. Young was re-elected as mayor in 1985 with over 80% of the vote. Atlanta hosted the 1988 Democratic National Convention while he was mayor. He could not run for a third term because of term limits. He often said he was proud to be mayor of a city where he had once been jailed for his activism.

Historians and experts have ranked Young as one of the best big-city mayors in American history.

After Public Office

After being mayor, Young ran for governor of Georgia in 1990. He did not win the election.

Young has continued to be very active. He was a director for the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy. He also helped lead the bid committee for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. He served as co-chair for the Games themselves.

From 2000 to 2001, Young was president of the National Council of Churches. In 2003, he started the Andrew Young Foundation. This organization supports education, health, leadership, and human rights. It works in the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Young has also been involved in documentary films. He narrated Rwanda Rising in 2007, which was about Rwanda's progress after the 1994 genocide. This film later became the pilot for his TV series, Andrew Young Presents.

He has appeared on TV shows like The Colbert Report. He also gives speeches at universities and events. In 2015, he spoke at Vanderbilt University's Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Day. In 2019, he spoke at Emory University's commencement.

In 2023, Young launched the "Andrew Young HBCU Scholarship Program." This program helps students who show leadership potential and want to promote peace and human rights.

Personal Life

Andrew Young has four children with his first wife, Jean Childs Young. Jean passed away in 1994. He married Carolyn McClain in 1996.

In 1999, Young was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had successful surgery in 2000.

Books and Writings

Andrew Young has written several books about his experiences and the Civil Rights Movement:

An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America. (1998)
A Way Out of No Way. (1996)
Walk in My Shoes: Conversations between a Civil Rights Legend and his Godson on the Journey Ahead with Kabir Sehgal. (2010)

He also co-authored:

Young, Andrew, Harvey Newman, and Andrea Young. 2016. Andrew Young and the Making of Modern Atlanta.

Awards and Honors

Andrew Young has received many awards and honors for his work:

Presidential Medal of Freedom
France's Légion d'honneur
The NAACP Spingarn Medal
Four Freedoms Award for the Freedom of Worship
More than 45 honorary degrees from universities like Yale, Notre Dame, and Emory
1983 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
1995 Eagle Award from the United States Sports Academy for his contribution to international sport
Honorary Co-Chair of the World Justice Project
2011 Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award for his TV work
2012 Georgia Trustee, for his community service
2018 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage
2023 induction into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame

Places Named After Andrew Young

Several places are named in honor of Andrew Young:

In 1999, Georgia State University in Atlanta renamed its public policy school the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
International Boulevard in Atlanta was renamed Andrew Young International Boulevard. This honors his role in bringing the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta.
The Andrew Young Center for International Affairs at Morehouse College is named after him.
The Andrew and Walter Young YMCA in Southwest Atlanta is named after him and his brother.
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300ER airplane bears his name.
In 2021, Delta Air Lines renamed a building at their headquarters the "Ambassador Andrew J. Young International Building."
The Andrew Young Crossing is located in St. Augustine, Florida.