Andrew Young

Early Life

Andrew Jackson Young Jr. was born on March 12, 1932, to a middle-class family in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents, Daisy Fuller Young and Andrew Jackson Young Sr., had diverse backgrounds. Daisy, a former teacher, was of Creole descent, and Andrew Sr., a dentist, was of Black and Indian descent. Both parents graduated from Straight College, where they met.

Young was first exposed to the Bible by reading it to his blind grandmother, Louisa Czarnowski Fuller, and listening to her prayers. He then attended Central Congregational Church, where he gained early literacy skills. Aside from bonding over baseball with his father, Young immersed himself in reading books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

Academics, Marriage, and Ministry

Young graduated with a bachelor's in biology from Howard University in 1951. As a Howard student, he joined the swim team, track team, and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Andrew Young met his first wife, Jean Childs, in Alabama in 1952 while he was a student at Hartford Seminary School. The two shared a passion for philanthropy and married in 1954. Young earned a bachelor's degree in divinity from Hartford Theological Seminary in 1955 and was ordained by the United Church of Christ shortly after.

As a pastor in Thomasville, Georgia, Young encountered the Ku Klux Klan during a voter registration event but stood firm and advocated for the mayor to take action.

Young moved to New York with his family in 1957 to work in the youth department at the National Council of Churches, where he engaged with youth through films, jazz, and folk music. In 1960, he even had the opportunity to serve communion to Princess Beatrix of Holland.

Young joins the SCLC

Young's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement began when he witnessed a sit-in on television and decided to return to the South to support voter registration efforts. He worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and became an integral part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Young organized protests and marches throughout the South.

SCLC joins the St. Augustine Movement

After the scarring campaign of demonstrations in Birmingham during the summer of 1963, Reverend Andrew Young (32 years old) and other SCLC members were hesitant to join the St. Augustine Movement. He believed that bringing the SCLC's "nonviolent army" to St. Augustine would distract them from the ultimate goal of passing a civil rights bill through Congress.

But in February of 1964, the SCLC answered the call of Dr. Robert B. Hayling, the leader of the St. Augustine Movement. Dr. Hayling had sent several letters updating both the SCLC and the federal government about the rising racist violence in St. Augustine.

In Spring of 1964, Dr. King sent SCLC representative Hosea Williams to St. Augustine. By May 1964, Williams was urging Dr. King to launch a major campaign in St. Augustine.

So, the SCLC officially joined the St. Augustine Movement on May 18, 1964, when Dr. King and other members arrived. Andrew Young was instrumental in several demonstrations and court cases. A prominent case was the June 1964 Young vs. Davis, which saw a legal battle over nighttime protests.

Andrew Young Crossing Monument

Placed in 2011, the Andrew Young Crossing monument recognizes Andrew Young's bravery and sacrifices during the St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement.

On June 18, 1964, a group of activists risked their lives to protest segregation by marching from Shiloh Baptist Church in West Augustine to the Plaza de la Constitución. They were met with intense racism and violence from local White supremacists, including then-Sheriff L.O. Davis.

The SCLC stayed in St. Augustine until July 1, 1964. Those months in the "Ancient City" (in which Andrew Young was a significant player) were integral in the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

From Congressman to Ambassador

After the assassination of Dr. King in 1968, Andrew Young continued to be a leader in the SCLC until 1970. In the following decades, his ambitions turned towards politics.

Using his skills as a grassroots activist, Young successfully ran for Congress in 1972, representing Georgia's 5th district, which encompasses the city of Atlanta. He ran again and was elected for another term in 1972.

On January 30, 1977, Andrew Young became the first African-American ambassador to the United Nations. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall swore Young in, and then Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter supported him. Young served the position until 1979, when he was forced to resign after meeting with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). To hear Young's own words on Israel-Palestine and the long history of worldwide collaborative civil rights activism, scroll down to the "Related Media" section to view "Ambassador Andrew Young on Israel-Palestine," published on December 19, 2023 by Rashad Milligan.

Andy Young: Mayor of Atlanta

Young served as mayor of Atlanta for two terms, from 1982 to 1990. He focused on economic development initiatives and became a treasured figure in Atlanta's history. 

Lifetime Achievements 

Along with his activism during the 1960s, Andrew Young has remained to be a positive force for justice. In 1998, he was appointed to a National Security board under President Bill Clinton, and from 2000 to 2001, he served as the President of the National Council of Churches.

Established in 2003, The Andrew Young Foundation embodies the core principles of diplomacy, advocacy, and inclusion. This nonprofit organization is committed to alleviating poverty by providing education, food, clothing, and other essentials to communities worldwide.

Throughout his life, Young received numerous awards, including the NAACP Spingarn Medal (1978), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1981), the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1983), the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Change (2018), and induction into the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame (2023).

With four children and nine grandchildren, Young's legacy lives on as he continues to champion human rights and philanthropy.

Further Watching

Since his early days at the National Council of Churches in 1950 and his subsequent entry into politics, Young has recognized the power of media and publicity.

His contributions were honored in 2011 with an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Arts and Sciences for his documentary series, Andrew Young Presents, which aired episodes such as "Crossing St. Augustine," "Rwanda Rising," and "Leaving Selma."

Resources

Online Resources

• Tap here to explore the Andrew Young Oral History Collection from Tulane University.
• Tap here to listen to a 2005 interview with Andrew Young, from NPR Weekend Edition.
• Tap here to read about Andrew Young’s civil rights activism, from The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research Institute.
• Tap here to read Atlanta Journal-Constitution article “Andy Young’s Remarkable Life, a Timeline,” by Christopher Quinn.
• Tap here to read “Andrew Young Fat Facts” from CNN US.

Further Reading

The many lives of Andrew Young, by Ernie Suggs, 2022.

An Easy Burden, by Andrew Young, 1989.Many Lives

A Way Out of No Way: The Spiritual Memoirs of Andrew Young, by Andrew Young, 1996.