Whitney+M.+Young+Jr.

Whitney M. Young Jr. is a little known advocate for Civil Rights. He was born on July 31, 1921 in a two story wooden house in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky. His parents were Whitney M. Young, Sr. and Laura Young. He had a sister named Eleanor. The house he was born in was located on the campus of the Lincoln Institute, a school where his father was president and which he would attend as a child. From the Lincoln Institute, Young's education progressed. Throughout his life, he receieved a bachelor of science degree from Kentucky State University, a master's degree in social work from the University of Minnesota, was trained in electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institutue of Technology (MIT) and even studied at Harvard University as a "visiting scholar" under a special Rockefeller grant. Young's education and social work skills would later associate him with several presidents of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson being one of them.



Young intially wanted to be a physician but his time in the armed forces would change that. He served during World War II in a segregated unit. His promotion from private to first officer caused tension between himself and white officers who were opposed to the idea of a black man having an authoritative position. The way he handled this tension earned him respect and he would continue in the armed services as a liason between races. The way he expressed the needs and desires of his people to get results pushed him to continue fighting for black people throughout his career. After his service, Young began his presidency of the [|National Urban League] in the Omaha, Nebraska chapter. He served with the National Urban League until his death. While working for the National Urban League, Young found time to serve as the dean of Atlanta University's School of Social Work, president of the National Conference on Social Welfare, president of the National Association of Social Workers, and president of the [|NAACP] 's Georgia chapter for a short period.



Whitney M. Young, Jr., although he isn't as famous as Malcolm X. or Martin Luther King, Jr., is an important activist for civil rights. His work in public service brought him in relation with many presidents. Young worked with Presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson. He was an advisor and worked with Johnson as a part of the [|Marshall Plan]. He was also one of the planners of the March on Washington, although he was not a famous face. Young was more concerned about getting work done than beong seen. He was more concerned about making things accesible for black people than being awarded by them. He even said "I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to think that at a crucial moment, I was an effective voice of the voiceless, an effective hope of the hopeless."

Whitney M. Young, Jr. accomplished his goal. He spoke for the people who would not have otherwise been heard. In the armed services, he spoke for his fellow black soldiers. Throughout his career, he spoke for his race to get jobs, voting rights, and equality. He was awarded the highest award a civilian can recieve, the [|Presidental Medal of Freedom], from his time working with president Lyndon Johnson. Young spent most of his life working with the National Urban League. He served with the National Urban League until his death in 1971. His legacy can be seen in the many schools named after him, including Whitney M. Young middle school in Cleveland, Ohio and Whitney Young High School in Chicago. Whitney Young was not as famous as some civil rights leaders, but the success of many people can be attributed to his works.

Sources: "Whitney Young - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 19 Feb. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Young "Whitney M. Young Jr.: Little Known Civil Rights Pioneer" Defense Link news Article: Whitney M. Young, Jr.:Civil Rights Pioneer. 19 Feb. 2009. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=43988 "Whitney M. Young, Jr., Birthplace" We Shall Overcome--Whitney M. Young Birthplace. 23 Feb. 2009. http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/civilrights/ky2.htm