Remembering Whitney M. Young, Jr.

Whitney M. Young

The Los Angeles Urban League pauses today to commemorate the birthday of the late Whitney M. Young, Jr. We ask you to join in a moment to reflect on the life of a remarkable public servant.

He would be 91 years old. 

“Every man is our brother. And every man’s burden is our own. Where poverty exists, all are poorer. Where hate flourishes, all are corrupted.

Where injustice reigns, all are unequal.” 

Born July 31, 1921, at the age of 40, Whitney M. Young, Jr. became Executive Director of the National Urban League in 1961 and led the organization until his untimely death in 1971. Young spent his career working to end employment discrimination in the United States and turning the National Urban League from a relatively passive civil rights organization into one that aggressively fought for equitable access to socioeconomic opportunities for the historically disenfranchised. Young walked and worked with Presidents, corporate leaders and the community simultaneously to influence policies and practices to uplift the lives of African Americans and all Americans. That dedicated mission is Young’s legacy to the Los Angeles Urban League as we continue to work for transformation of our communities through Neighborhoods@Work to ensure success, not as a privilege, but as a right for everyone.

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