Andrew Young returns to south Georgia city where he first became pastor for exhibit on his life
Civil Rights icon Andrew Young — a former ambassador, congressman, Atlanta mayor and member of Martin Luther King Jr.’s inner circle, is coming home to the south Georgia city where he first became a pastor in 1955
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Civil Rights icon Andrew Young — a former ambassador, congressman, Atlanta mayor and member of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s inner circle, is coming home to the south Georgia city where he first became a pastor in 1955.
Young was billed as the star guest at Thursday evening's opening of a traveling exhibit, the aptly called “The Many Lives of Andrew Young,” in Thomasville. The event will be held at an arts center not far from Bethany Congregational Church, the historic church where he became pastor before joining King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
The exhibit, created by the National Monuments Foundation, chronicles Young’s life through photographs, memorabilia and his own words. It's based on a book of the same name by Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Ernie Suggs.
Young also served as a pastor in neighboring Grady County before joining the SCLC. While working with King, Young helped organize civil rights marches in Selma and Birmingham, Alabama, and in St. Augustine, Florida. He was with King when King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
In 1972, Young was elected to the U.S. House from Georgia’s 5th District, becoming the first black Georgian sent to Congress since Reconstruction. He served as the United Nations ambassador under President Jimmy Carter and was the Atlanta mayor from 1982 to 1990.