Andrew J. Young is a distinguished figure known globally for his groundbreaking work and unwavering commitment to civil and human rights. Over the course of an illustrious career spanning more than six decades, Young has played a pivotal role in shaping history through his influential positions as a member of Congress, the first African American U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mayor of Atlanta, and as an ordained minister.
In the 1960s, Young emerged as a crucial strategist and negotiator in the civil rights movement, contributing significantly to the legislative triumphs of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His tenure as Ambassador to the United Nations, starting in 1977, was marked by his significant diplomatic achievements, including the negotiations that ended white-minority rule in Namibia and Zimbabwe, and advancing President Carter’s focus on human rights in international forums.
As Mayor of Atlanta serving two terms, Young significantly boosted the city’s economic landscape by attracting over 1,100 businesses, securing more than 70 billion in foreign direct investments, and creating over a million jobs. His contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including honorary degrees from over 100 universities and the prestigious Emmy Lifetime Achievement award in 2011. His portrait is also featured in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
A dedicated servant to the community, Young sits on various boards such as the Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violent Social Change and Morehouse College. Alongside his wife, Carolyn McClain Young, he founded the Andrew J. Young Foundation in 2003. The foundation aims to enhance education, health, leadership, and human rights across the U.S., Africa, and the Caribbean. Young continues to lead as the Chairman of the foundation. In 2012, he concluded his work with GoodWorks International, LLC, where he spent over a decade promoting sustainable economic development in the Caribbean and Africa.
Born in New Orleans in 1932, Young currently resides in Atlanta. He and his wife are proud parents to three daughters and one son, grandparents to nine grandchildren and great-grandparents to two.