A legacy cemented!
Delta just renamed one of the Atlanta headquarters in honor of ambassador and civil rights activist, Andrew Young, Delta News reports.
Young was an early leader of the civil rights movement and counted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a close friend. He served as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and eventually transitioned into politics. Young served as the congressman representing Georgia before the late John Lewis. In 1977, he made history as the first Black person to be named a United Nations Ambassador, appointed by President Jimmy Carter.
Young served on Delta’s Board of Directors from 1994 to 2004 and is responsible for growing its imprint in the Atlanta area while he was mayor from 1982 to 1990. As ambassador to the United Nations, Young has also helped the airline gain entrance into major international markets. He has recently worked with the corporation to discuss its future as it pertains to racial and social justice. Now, Delta is honoring the ambassador by renaming one of their Atlanta headquarter buildings, formerly known as the A2 Building, after him.
Ambassador Andrew Young has had an enormous influence on Delta, Atlanta and the world. We’re excited to rename a building on our ATL campus the Ambassador Andrew J. Young International Building in honor of his commitment to making the world a better place.
— Delta (@Delta) March 11, 2021
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The ambassador and activist was surprised with the honor just one day before his 89th birthday. Delta CEO Ed Bastian spoke about the honor, saying, “Ambassador Young has had a tremendous influence on Delta, Atlanta, the state of Georgia and the world. He has been paramount in Delta’s success, and his leadership serves as a constant reminder for us all to push the boundaries. I can’t think of a better building to bear his name than the building many new hires enter on their first day.”
An overwhelming birthday celebration at Delta today. A $1 million gift to the Andrew J. Young Foundation will enable us to move forward with a vision I believe will help to eliminate hunger around the world — in my lifetime! pic.twitter.com/FyxS8t9Fsb
— Andrew Young (@AmbAndrewYoung) March 12, 2021
The ceremony announcing the honor was live-streamed for employees, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was in attendance. During the ceremony, Delta also made a $1 million donation to the Andrew J. Young Foundation, whose focus is supporting and promoting education, leadership, and human rights in the U.S., Africa, and the Caribbean. This is not the first time the airline has honored Young either. In 2012, a Boeing 767-300 scale model plane was dedicated to Young and will be on display at the Delta Flight Museum this summer in an exhibit honor him in the new building bearing his name.
“So many things can be said about Andrew Young, but I am reminded of an African proverb that says ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ – and when you are privileged to grow up in Atlanta, you are part of a village with leaders like Ambassador Young and Mayor Shirley Franklin who keep you top of mind and in their hearts in all that they do,”Mayor Bottoms said. “Most people read about their heroes in history books, but our heroes walk amongst us, and Ambassador Young is my hero. Because of the village that you have led in Atlanta for so very long, I am now the 60th mayor. This is a man who tells me that I can call him day or night, and he means it. On behalf of the people of Atlanta and all of those that have been a part of this village, I say thank you.”
Congratulations, Ambassador Andrew Young! Because of you, we can!
Photo Courtesy of Craig Barritt/Getty Images