Whitney M. Young, Jr.

Whitney M. Young, Jr.. (1921 - 1971) , "Every man is our brother, and every man's burden is our own.". , Whitney M. Young, Jr. was Executive Director of the National Urban League from 1961 until his untimely death in 1971. He worked tirelessly as an advocate for equal opportunities on behalf of African Americans, and he gained national respect as an outstanding bridge builder among individuals of every race, culture, religion, gender and economic background. Under his dynamic leadership, the Urban League moved into the forefront of the civil rights movement of the '60s., Young focused on gaining equality for blacks in business and politics and on improving opportunities for the urban poor. He appealed to corporate leaders to support job programs, low-income housing, and education for African Americans. A close advisor to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, he also conferred with President Nixon. He helped to shape the policies of three administrations and played a major role in the development of the War on Poverty. He was a key participant in the legendary 1963 March on Washington and a major catalyst in uniting divergent black leaders. In 1969, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, by President Johnson., On March 11, 1971, Whitney Young died in a drowning accident while attending a conference in Lagos, Nigeria. President Nixon sent a plane to collect his body and traveled to Kentucky to deliver the eulogy at his funeral. As stated by President Nixon in his eulogy, Whitney Young's legacy was that "he knew how to accomplish what other people were merely for.", Whitney Young, a native of Kentucky, and his wife Margaret lived in New Rochelle at 29 Mohegan Place for many years. Among the many monuments and awards that were named in his honor is the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Auditorium at New Rochelle High School. In 1981, he was memorialized in a commemorative stamp issued by the United States Postal Service.