Civil Rights leader inducted into prestigious 1862 Circle after decades of service

A man who has devoted his life to civil rights and serving his country was awarded top honors at Saturday’s 1862 Circle Gala hosted by the St. Helena Island Penn Center.

Andrew Young Jr. became one of the two newest members of the Penn Center’s 1862 Circle, a group that has recognizes leaders who embody the spirit of the center and who serve as national advocates for the enduring history and culture of the Sea Islands.

Young has shown leadership and commitment to the African American community for decades.

He first became a part of the civil rights movement when he was working as a pastor in Georgia and began to organize voter registration drives.

From there, he began organizing schools that tutored African Americans in literacy until he ultimately began to work closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

“I’m coming to thank them,” Young said of his reason for attending the Saturday gala. “They honored me back in 1961. ... I learned how people could thrive on spiritual and cultural enthusiasm.”

Young said the Penn Center welcomed him and many more for retreats in ’61 and that the center played a key role in training many African American leaders.

When asked what he found special about the Lowcountry, Young referenced local musical abilities.

“Down here is the only place I know where people can play music by clapping,” Young said.

Young eventually helped draft the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and was with King on the day of his assassination in Memphis on April 4, 1968.

He went on to become the first African American to represent Georgia in the House of Representatives since Reconstruction, the first black U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the mayor of Atlanta.

The gala celebrated the St. Helena Island Penn Center, which is recognized as one of the nation’s most historic institutions dedicated to preserving Gullah Geechee culture.

The Penn School, which eventually became the Penn Center, was founded in 1862 and the 1862 Circle was established in 2003.

This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 9:06 PM with the headline "Civil Rights leader inducted into prestigious 1862 Circle after decades of service."