Andrew Young Biography

Andrew Jackson Young, Jr. was born March 12, 1932, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Young grew up in a middle-class family with his father a dentist and mother a teacher. Even though New Orleans was racially segregated, the rich ethnic diversity of the city gave Young experience in dealing with people from a variety of backgrounds. At a young age, Young’s father instilled in his sons how to defend themselves to prevent anyone from easily intimidating them. (“ Andrew J. Young Biography — Academy of Achievement,” 2010).
As a teen, Andrew Young’s primary interest was athletics, particularly swimming, and track and field. At the age of 15, he enrolled at Dillard University and later transferred to Howard University in Washington D.C. While at Howard, Andrew swam on Howard’s swim team. In the 1950’s, most swimming across the country did not
Working as a pastor in Georgia, Young first became part of the Civil Rights Movement when he organized voter registration drives. He moved to New York City to work with the National Council of Churches in 1957, then returned to Georgia in 1961 to help lead the "citizenship schools" that tutored African Americans in literacy, organizing and leadership skills. Though the schools were a success, Young sometimes had trouble connecting with the rural students in the program. (“ Andrew J. Young Biography — Academy of Achievement,” 2010).
In 1981, Young ran for mayor of Atlanta and elected later that year with more than 50 percent of the votes. As Mayor, he brought in more than $70 million worth of private investments to the city. Andrew observed the lack of swimming pools in the city and saw the need for additional pools, particularly in the inner cities. According to the Academy of Achievement, “[Andrew Jackson] appropriated 1.25 million dollars to make swimming available to inner city