Ambassador Andrew Young - The Greatest Living American
This page was inspired by a visit with Ambassador Andrew Young on February 5th, 2020. After 5 days of deep reflection on the quality time spent with Ambassador Young in Atlanta, Kwabena Boateng, Chair of the HBCU Africa Homecoming Initiative became convinced that he had met the greatest living American - period!! This page was inpired by Kwabena's desire to share these reflections with his 4 children Yaa, Akosua, Kwabena, Nana and their classmates.
"Ambassador Young is a living embodiment of all that is good and lasting value in the ancient African essence, the foundational American essence and the HBCU essence"
"I speak about the paradigms of "UBUNTU", "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and Isaiah 61:1-4."
Expounding on the HBCU essence which he described as Isaiah 61:1-4, Kwabena mentioned that most HBCUs were founded by individuals and organizations who were inspired by the following passages:
1. The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
These ancient words continue to define the HBCU ethos, they are integral to the campus culture and spirit which underpinned student and alumni participation in the civil right movement, and to this day Ambassador Andrew Young embodies that spirit in the work he does in the community and Africa with the Andrew Young Foundation
Study guide coming soon.