Young, Andrew Jackson, Jr., 1932-

YOUNG, ANDREW JACKSON, JR., 1932-

Ambassador to the united nations, 1977-1979

A New Symbol

Upon Andrew Young's 1976 nomination to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, syndicated columnist Mary McGrory wrote that the "symbolism of a black American speaking for this country to all the nations of the world will not be lost," and Young became the symbol of the Carter administration's effort to transform U.S. foreign policy. He repaired strained relations between the United States and the Third World and drew attention to human-rights abuses around the globe. Traditionalists critical of such foreign-policy shifts also focused on Young. Their opposition to him, combined with Young's tendency for off-the-cuff remarks and un-diplomatic language, forced him from office in 1979.

Civil Rights Leader

A lifetime of advocacy for social justice and morality in government made Young the perfect symbol of the Carter administration's commitment to human rights in foreign policy. The son of a New Orleans dentist and a schoolteacher, Young grew up in a predominantely Irish and Italian neighborhood, where he developed a lifelong commitment to integration. Young had initially followed in his father's footsteps, but at Howard University he abandoned dentistry and became a clergyman. At Hartford Theological Seminary he was first exposed to the works of Indian nationalist Mohandas K. Gandhi and became convinced that nonviolence was the best means to achieve integration in the United States. Receiving his divinity degree in 1955, Young went south to participate in the developing civil rights movement, spearheading voter-registration efforts. Hired by the National Council of Churches in 1959, he led outreach programs to New York City's impoverished youth. His efforts brought him to the attention of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). By 1964 Young had become the executive director of the SCLC and one of King's closest aides, helping King coordinate the breakthrough Birmingham desegregation battle. Following King's 1968 assassination, Young moved toward the leadership of the SCLC and, with Ralph Abernathy, led the 1968 Poor People's Campaign for social and economic justice.

Association with Carter

In the early 1970s Young turned to politics. Although defeated in his run for Congress in 1970, he became the first black elected to the House of Representatives from Atlanta, Georgia, in 1972 and was reelected twice. He distinguished himself in Congress as an advocate for poor people, championing liberal causes, such as the minimum wage, day care, and national health care, as well as establishing himself as an opponent of increased military expenditures. His insistence on higher moral standards in government brought him to the attention of the like-minded governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, and in 1976 Young led a voter-registration drive that resulted in perhaps three million votes for Carter's presidential effort. In return Carter made Young U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

A Controversial Ambassador

Young established himself as one of the most outspoken international representatives of the United States, advocating U.S. recognition of Communist Vietnam and economic sanctions against the authoritarian white-minority regimes in South Africa and Rhodesia. He considered human rights one of the most pressing problems in international diplomacy. He pushed U.S. assistance to Africa and Latin America, building American goodwill in those areas. His intemperate remarks concerning racism in Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and Sweden, however, drew fire; a charge that there were political prisoners in the United States earned Young the scorn of many. In August 1979 Young held unauthorized meetings with members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)—a violation of official Middle Eastern policy. His critics seized upon the meeting and demanded that Young be fired. President Carter reluctantly accepted Young's resignation on 15 August. Despite his short tenure as UN ambassador, Young's insistence that governments around the world guarantee the human rights of their citizens was a lasting contribution to international affairs and established a moral basis for U.S. diplomacy in the future.

Source:

Carl Gardner, Andrew Young: A Biography (New York: Drake, 1978).