Whitney_Young

Whitney M. Young Jr. Biography By Lindsey Davis Swk 210 January 22, 2010 BIRTH OF A LEADER Whitney M. Young Jr. was born on July 31, 1921 in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky. He grew up on the campus of the Lincoln Institute of Kentucky, where his father taught. His mother was the first African American postmaster in Kentucky and his father was the President of the Lincoln Institute. The background of his own personal family shows some insight into how he developed the leadership skills that were necessary for him to influence the environment around him. He developed into a confident and courageous African American through his caution and diplomacy (Dickerson, 1973). AFTER THE WAR Young had intended to study medicine and become a doctor, but after earning a bachelor’s degree from Kentucky State University, Young joined the United States Army. He was originally assigned to a road construction crew conducted of African American soldiers that were supervised by white Southern Officers. Young was promoted, which caused confrontation from both his superiors as well as his fellow crew members. His experiences in the military helped to shape and build his interest in the civil rights movement as well as lead him into the social work profession. (Williams) SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE (NUL) In 1960, Young was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation grant to study at Harvard University. After a year, he became the Executive Director of the National Urban League. Young transformed NUL into a major civil rights organization, fighting for better treatment of African Americans in all aspects of their lives. NUL rose to national prominence under the leadership of Young, through his persuasion, reasoning, and negotiation.(Williams) NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS (NASW) DEATH OF A GREAT On March 11, 1971 at the age of 49, Whitney M. Young Jr. mysteriously drowned while swimming in Lagos, Nigeria. (Williams) A plane was sent by President Nixon to pick up Young’s body and then traveled to Kentucky to deliver the eulogy. There have since been hundreds of schools and other sites named for the man who was so instrumental in breaking down the barriers of segregation and inequality. (Young) REFERENCES Dickerson, D.C. (1998). Militant mediator. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky. Young Sought Economic Justice. (1998) NASW News. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.naswdc.org/profession/centennial/young.htm