‘Change is a Blessing’ – Conversations with Civil Rights Icon Andrew Young

Andrew Young is a civil rights icon, a renowned diplomat, and an unwavering champion for equality, respect and the power of peaceful communication to bring change – even in the face of unfathomable odds.

We’re highlighting the life and legacy of the former congressman and Ambassador to the United Nations – who will soon celebrate his 90th birthday – as part of our celebration of Black History Month. I was thrilled and humbled to sit down with him via Zoom last week to revisit his amazing life.

His memories of the civil rights movement and working with his close friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are vivid reminders of segregation, racism and the fact that our nation is a constant work in progress. His words are powerful; the results even more so.

You can watch the entire interview here , and I strongly encourage you to view the documentary about his eventful life. After viewing it, I was even more eager to hear his insights.

I consider Andrew Young an American hero, one who along with his fellow leaders truly changed our society. I felt there was so much I could learn from him – I wanted to hear his wisdom and reflection on the struggle for large-scale change and the power of transformation. How did people from such diverse backgrounds come together to change our country in such a fundamental, positive way? His perseverance and his expertise in communications and diplomacy transfers so well to so many circumstances – from society to business and more.

I knew the conversation would be thought-provoking. It didn’t disappoint.

Young, now chairman of his own foundation that champions the underserved, told me about his upbringing in New Orleans, where so many races and creeds lived peaceably, side-by-side.?

“It was an international neighborhood,” he recalled. “And New Orleans was a very cosmopolitan city; I really had an upbringing that prepared me for my life.”

His father wanted to make sure his son could always defend himself, even though he too was a proponent of non-violence. Young remembers his father’s words well.

“He said, ‘Don’t get mad, get smart when you get angry. If you can stay calm and not get upset, your mind will guide you better than you can fight.’ I think that was the first lesson in non-violence I ever had.”

Young would face many more conflicts as he grew up in a world divided, often in the midst of civil rights protests that became more heated and bordered on violence. He remembers joining the march in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1964, at a particularly volatile time, when the Ku Klux Klan was working to intimidate and incite violence with peaceful protesters.

“I decided I was going to cross the street and talk to the Klan,” he recalled. “I always felt like I could reason with anybody if I wasn’t angry. I thought I was doing good, too, until someone came up behind me and hit me in the head with something. I found out later they kicked and stomped me for about five minutes.”

Still, he was undeterred, believing that change was on the horizon. He was right. Soon after, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act.

“Change is a blessing,” he said. “Change is almost always disruptive. There's always some pain going with change because we get comfortable and adjusted to mediocrity. So when we push for excellence, there's going to be some resistance. You need to plan and prepare for that.”?

His diplomacy skills only strengthened as he continued his work in politics at home, then abroad, serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Today, he still sounds cautiously optimistic about progress, reminding me of the words of his close friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

I’ve read King’s book of essays titled “Where do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” ?The essays, poignant and impassioned, questioned the pace of change in the civil rights movement, but ultimately struck a hopeful note.

“I found the world pretty similar everywhere,” Young told me. “I treated everybody the same. I wasn’t mean, I wasn’t shy, and I wasn’t nervous about talking to anybody.”

He paused for a minute, lost in memory.

“It’s sort of a matter-of-fact thing,” he said. “They can't do anything but kill you.? And if you're not afraid to die, you’ll never be afraid to live.”