The Cambridge Guide to African American History

Born: October 23, 1932, New Orleans, LA

Education: Howard University, B.A., 1951; Hartford Theological Seminary, B.D., 1954

When the shot rang out, Young assumed it was a fire cracker or a car backfiring. Then he saw Martin Luther King, Jr. fall dead.

As Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) executive secretary, he remained steadfast. SCLC drew thousands to its 1968 Poor People's Campaign (PPC) in Washington, DC. From many racial and ethnic backgrounds, participants pitched tents on the Mall, marched, and rallied for racial and economic justice. Young also called for mass voter registration. After the campaign, Young and SCLC's staff turned to registering voters and organizing Charleston, South Carolina hospital workers.

Young's post-SCLC contributions are exemplary. Active in the Democratic Party, he won election to Congress (1972), the first black from the 5th Georgia Congressional District and the South since Reconstruction. He spoke out forcefully for implementing civil and voting rights and social programs. Appointed ambassador to the United Nations (1977–79), he was respected by Third World leaders. He criticized genocide and oppression, such as South African apartheid, enhancing America's moral stature. His unauthorized conversations with the Palestine Liberation Organization, however, resulted in his recall. As mayor of Atlanta (1982–90), he helped make it a hub of global commerce, interracial progress, and home of the King National Historic Site. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1981).