Photograph by Wondros
This is a big week in Atlanta Georgia — the whole city is celebrating her most distinguished citizen, Andrew J. Young, on the occasion of his 90th birthday on March 12, when there will be a big birthday gala, and a series of special events on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week:
90th BIIRTHDAY PEACE & RECONCILIATION BROCHURE (4)
It is wonderful to celebrate Ambassador Young’s birthday on Saturday. But more important to him is a special church service tomorrow, Wednesday March 9, when he will return to his original pastoral calling to give a sermon to hundreds of churches, congregations and communities around the world, from Atlanta’s First Congregational Church, his home church since 1961, in a program entitled “90 Minutes of Global Prayer for World Peace”, at noon Eastern Time. This special service organized by Reverend Dwight Andrews, Pastor of First Congregational Church will include an interfaith choir comprised of members of the Atlanta faith communities and choral organizations.
This extraordinary service and sermon will be livestreamed — you can find the link at www.andrewyoung90.com — Noon EST, 9am PST.
Ambassador Andrew Young’s humanitarian efforts and influence have spanned the globe. From his beginnings as an ordained minister and top aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement to his current position as founding principal and chair of GoodWorks International, an organization that embraces his long-held mission of facilitating economic development in the Caribbean and Africa, Ambassador Young has dedicated himself to improving the lives of all people, particularly those in Africa and the Diaspora. His good works have taken him to more than 150 countries, including 48 of 53 countries in Africa. Through his leadership, countries throughout the world have created a successful model that combines religion, education, democracy and free enterprise in ways that support the public good.
The USF Institute for Nonviolence is honored to have Andrew Young on our institute’s Leadership Council, and we are proud that Ambassador Young is the inaugural recipient of our institute’s Clarence B. Jones Award for Nonviolence in the Tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Here is a video recording of our award presentation to Ambassador Young, including an introduction by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and a dialogue between Amb. Young and Dr. Jones, the two surviving members of Dr. King’s most dedicated and closest inner circle of advisors.
Before serving as Mayor of Atlanta (1981-1990); before he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations (1977-79); before he served as U.S. Congressman (1972-77); before Martin Luther King, Jr. appointed him to become executive director of Southern Christian Leadership Council (1964-68), where he marched side-by-side with Dr. King in Memphis (1968), Chicago and Mississippi (1966)k and from Selma to Montgomery (1965); before standing up and returning to the march at the old slave market of St. Augustine, Florida, before being savagely beaten by KKK thugs (1964) and countless other acts of heroism he performed on the front lines of the nonviolent Black Freedom Movement in this country; before marched in Albany with Dr. King (1964); before he served as a strategist and negotiator on behalf of Dr. King in the Birmingham campaign (1963); before he led the SCLC’s Citizenship Education program with Dorothy Cotton (1960 to 1963); Andrew Young was a pastor, at the Evergreen Congregational Church in Beachton, Georgia (1957-59) and at the Bethany Congregational Church in Thomasville, Georgia (1955-57).
So when Rev. Andrews asked Amb. Young who should be invited to preach at tomorrow’s special service, he answered: I would like to give the sermon.
Rev. Andrews writes:
“It is the hope of Andrew Young that his sermon reach as many people in the world as possible. We are counting on you to join in this celebration and to pass this invitation along to everyone you know. With your help we are hoping to spread this message around the globe.”
Please join us tomorrow, Wednesday March 9, at noon EST (9am PST) at www.andrewyoung90.com
Bob Fitch photography archive, © Stanford University Libraries
