His principal legacy was to open doors for those who previously were relegated to the sidelines. Young also fought for and won $28 million from the Nixon administration to support National Urban League programs for the poor. The plan significantly influenced the discussion of the Johnson administration’s War on Poverty legislation and policies on federal aid to cities. Most notably, he put forward a domestic “Marshall Plan”, a 10-point program designed to close the huge social and economic gap between black and white Americans (and thereby offering Blacks a measure of restitution). Undeterred, Young was able to make great strides in his too-short life, influencing the War on Poverty and other Johnson-era initiatives. He was sometimes rejected by his own people and, according to Boswell, at one point earned the epithet of an “Uncle Tom”. He understood that the community needed both money to support its human rights activities and the endorsement of key power brokers from white as well as black communities.īecause he could move effectively within and between these two communities and power structures, Young’s efforts went through periods of being widely misunderstood. For instance, he pushed major corporations to hire more blacks. Young also served as President of the National Association of Social Workers, (NASW) during the civil rights movement under President Lyndon Johnson, the first African American to do so.īut it was his position at the helm of the National Urban League that gave him access to the board rooms of America.Ī master strategist, he engaged America’s most powerful business leaders in helping to support Black institutions and policies that would serve all people of color well. He substantially expanded its fund-raising ability and, most critically, made it a full partner in the civil rights movement. He is a celebrated figure at CUSSW because of the connection between the New York School of Philanthropy, the School’s predecessor, and the National Urban League, where Young served as executive director from 1961 until his untimely death ten years later.įaculty and staff at the New York School developed the original ideas that led to the creation of the League in 1911, the first community-based civil rights organization of its kind in the nation.* When he took over the League at the age of 40, Young literally made it younger. His papers are part of the Library’s permanent collection. Have you seen it? Whitney Young’s bust, along with a showcase of materials relating to his life, is in the alcove near the break-out rooms in the Social Work Library at the Columbia University School of Social Work. Appropriately, Dean Jeanette Takamura was a panelist last month on a special screening of the film, held at the Ford Foundation headquarters. He was a bridge builder, and we need that now more than ever.Īnd, if Boswell’s film speaks to the kind of young people who might become students at CUSSW, it also speaks to the history of the school itself, which houses a collection of Whitney Young materials. He had skill sets that can be taught and have everyday applications. But he could tell young people to become another Whitney Young. He said he couldn’t tell young people to become another Martin Luther King Jr. (1921-71).īoswell says she made the film to show how relevant Young’s approach as a mediator is to today’s youth who seek to become agents of social change. Bonnie Boswell, an award-winning television newscaster, has developed a new documentary that chronicles the life of her uncle, social worker and civil rights activist Whitney Young Jr.
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