Whitney Young

Ap American History Whitney Young Whitney young was a civil rights activist born on July 31, 1921 in Lincoln ridge, Kentucky. He graduated from Kentucky State College at 18 and he studied engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After his discharge, he received an MSW from the University of Minnesota in 1947. Mr. Young has many accomplishments from being head of many social worker companies to being advisors to president. But his overall goal was to bridge the gap between white political and business leaders and poor blacks and militants. Mr.Young was involved in many social worked companies including National Urban League. He was President of National Urban League in 1961. In just four years, he revitalized the relatively passive civil rights organization and turned it into an aggressive fighter for civil rights and justice. He expanded the organization from 38 employees to 1,600 employees and from an annual budget of $325,000 to more than $6. 1 million. Under his d irection the organization grew from 60 to 98 chapters. He was also in other social worker companies like National Conference on Social Welfare in 1965 and NASW in 1969.With these companies he did many things like secured jobs and training for African-Americans in areas traditionally closed to them. An also he helped bridge the gap between white political and business leaders and poor blacks and militants. Whitney Young did many things He pioneered the development of social work in industrial settings with both union and management. He was an advisor on race relations to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon and his innovative â€Å"Marshall Plan† was considered a major inspiration for the â€Å"War on Poverty† of the Johnson Administration.In 1968 Johnson bestowed upon Young the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. Whitney is a true inspiration in 1960’s showing that African American’s can be on top of corporate industries and le ad Americas economy. He was credited with almost singlehandedly persuading corporate America and major foundations to aid the civil rights movement. Whitney Young was a true civil rights activist and deserves to be called a civil rights pioneer. This is my report on Whitney Young and how he is a pioneer or social workers all over the United States of America. Bibliography â€Å"National Association of Social Workers. † National Association of Social Workers. NASW, 20 Feb. 2003. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. Whitney Moore Young, Jr. from Encyclopedia of World Biography.  ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved. â€Å"Whitney Young Jr. † 2013. The Biography Channel website. Feb 28 2013, 01:09 http://www. biography. com/people/whitney-young-jr-9539757