Legacy In Action

The Whitney Young Film and Leadership Development Project, made possible in part, by grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, is an exciting effort created by Young’s niece and The Powerbroker‘s Executive Producer Bonnie Boswell, and supported by the National Association of Social Workers and the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors.

Its focus is to train the next generation of leaders who can work effectively to foster democracy and work toward racial, social, and economic equality for all people. Young’s leadership style was based on the three Ps: passion, pragmatics and patience. This program will teach students how to apply his philosophy to today’s divisive issues.

To read more about the program, please visit the National Association of Social Workers at www.socialworkers.org/whitneyyoung.

Schools and community organizations throughout the country carry on Young’s legacy. Visit one near you.

The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Job Corps Center

Named for the civil rights leader, the center supports the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps program, teaching eligible young people the skills they need to become employable and independent, and placing them in meaningful jobs or further education.

The National Association of Social Workers

Whitney Young served as the first African-American president of the NASW from 1969-1971. It is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 145,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.

Albany Health Center – Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Services

Go to the site. Founded in 1971, Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Services is a registered 501(c)3, non-profit community health center dedicated to providing affordable, accessible, high-quality, innovative medical, dental and addictions services, regardless of income or insurance status.

Whitney M. Young, Jr. Magnet High School

Located in a contemporary facility just north of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Whitney M. Young Magnet High School has a tradition of academic excellence and ethnic and cultural diversity. Whitney Young’s motto, “Where Academic Excellence is the Standard,” is embraced by students, teachers and administrators who work together as a community.

Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University

As dean of the School of Social Work, Whitney Young drastically expanded its operations.  Today, the school is committed to the core values of the profession, including the promotion of social justice; a responsibility to serve oppressed, at-risk members of society; and the responsible application of professional values and ethics in practice.

The National Urban League

As Executive Director from 1961-1971, Whitney Young transformed the organzation. He greatly increased funding and staff, and brought the organization to the forefront of the fight for civil rights.  Today, countless programs run by the NUL are monuments to Young’s leadership and activism.