By Roz Edward
(Src: ADW)
Ambassador Andrew Young’s distinguished and extensive career as a civil rights leader, lauded politician, and dedicated diplomat make him one of the most respected leaders in Atlanta, the nation and the world. As a venerated champion of social justice, Young remains one of the most recognized and appreciated figures in modern day history.
Recently the former mayor of Atlanta and Ambassador to the United Nations received honors from National Jewish Health during the Forever Young Gala held at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta where he received the National Jewish Health Humanitarian Award. National Jewish Health is the leading respiratory hospital in the nation, serving patients across the country and developing new treatments and solutions through research.
All five living Atlanta Mayors – Andre Dickens, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Kasim Reed, Shirley Franklin and Bill Campbell – attended the well-deserved celebration to pay homage to Young, the first African American to have been elected to the U.S. Congress since Reconstruction. Speaker after speaker thanked Young for his storied past achievements and expressed support for his current work to eradicate childhood diseases in the U.S. and around the world.
“No one, other than my father, has impacted my life more than Andy Young. Our improbable 10-year journey together in bidding for, planning and hosting the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games would not have happened without Andy Young. He taught me so many life lessons and impacted my life in such a positive and profound way, just as he has done for so many others,” commented event co-chair Billy Payne. “Above all, I am proud and honored to call him my friend. And, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to serve as one of the co-chairs for Forever Young – A Tribute to Andrew Young to recognize Andy’s immeasurable contributions to Atlanta and the world.”
The Atlanta Daily World spoke with the revered human rights leader and foreign policy expert to discuss the evening’s honors and his work to eradicate childhood disease in the U.S and around the globe.
“This event this evening means that the community has come together and pooled its resources to do more research on children’s hospital, and National Jewish Health from Denver, Colorado is doing that work. Diseases do not know borders. If there is an [outbreak] in Texas, it’s going to get here before long. It happened with the Coronavirus which we believe originated in China and it ended up [affecting] the world. I worked with former president Jimmy Carter and Ted Turner traveling the world to deliver polio vaccines to other nations, and we wiped out polio. Diseases don’t recognize race, creed, color or national origins,” emphasized Young.
“We have a good national health service and a lot of it comes from the Centers for Disease Control,” said Young. ” Foruntately the Congress still has a vote to slow down some of Trump’s ideas [regarding the CDC].”
The 93-year-old champion for social causes shared a personal account of how disease has impacted his own family. Young’s daughter, Lisa Alson Young did from pancreatic cancer in March of this year. “My daughter struggled with pancratic cancer and she went to three hospitals around the country. They kept her alive for six years. But still disease knows no borders,” Young reiterated. Alston was 67 years old at the time of her death.
Ambassador Andrew J. Young has earned global recognition for his pioneering efforts in civil rights and diplomacy. As a key strategist in civil rights campaigns, he contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He later served as the first African American U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, a transformative Mayor of Atlanta, and the co-chair for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.
The lauded statesman implored Americans to remain vigilant in the pursuit of freedom at home and abroad. “We should look at every administration, including state, municipal, national and the United Nation’s, and we should look to see how are we going to best serve God’s children. … I don’t approve of everything, but this is one nation under God and indivisible,” he said. “I wouldn’t leave here for anywhere els if i had a ticket,” Ambassador Young quipped.
Andrew Young has received over 100 honorary degrees and continues to serve as a champion of justice through the Andrew J. Young Foundation. His legacy is one of leadership, compassion, and tireless advocacy for a better world. He is also an ordained minister, co-founder of GoodWorks International (a consulting group focused on Africa and the Caribbean), and has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
