Young's Life Story
Whitney Moore Young Jr. was born in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky on July 31, 1921. He earned
his bachelor’s degree of science from Kentucky State University, earned a degree
in electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and received
his master’s degree in social work from University of Minnesota. Young Jr.
followed the steps of success his parents, Whitney M Young Sr. and Laura Young,
created. Whitney M. Young Jr. occupied his time and mind. IN 1948, he
volunteered for the St. Paul branch of the National Urban League and was then
appointed as the industrial relations secretary in that branch in 1949. Young
then became the president of the National Urban League’s Omaha, Nebraska Chapter
in 1950 and taught at the University of Nebraska from 1950 to 1954, and
Creighton University from 1951 to 1952. In his next position as dean of social
work at Atlanta University, Young supported alumni in the boycott of the Georgia
Conference of Social Welfare, for low rates of African-American employment
within the organization. While Young was dean at the University of Atlanta, he
also was a member of the Atlanta Unitarian Church where he forced the
participants to stop having annual picnics at segregated parks. In 1960, Young
was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation grant for a postgraduate year at Harvard
University. In the same year, he joined the NAACP and rose to become state
president.
his bachelor’s degree of science from Kentucky State University, earned a degree
in electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and received
his master’s degree in social work from University of Minnesota. Young Jr.
followed the steps of success his parents, Whitney M Young Sr. and Laura Young,
created. Whitney M. Young Jr. occupied his time and mind. IN 1948, he
volunteered for the St. Paul branch of the National Urban League and was then
appointed as the industrial relations secretary in that branch in 1949. Young
then became the president of the National Urban League’s Omaha, Nebraska Chapter
in 1950 and taught at the University of Nebraska from 1950 to 1954, and
Creighton University from 1951 to 1952. In his next position as dean of social
work at Atlanta University, Young supported alumni in the boycott of the Georgia
Conference of Social Welfare, for low rates of African-American employment
within the organization. While Young was dean at the University of Atlanta, he
also was a member of the Atlanta Unitarian Church where he forced the
participants to stop having annual picnics at segregated parks. In 1960, Young
was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation grant for a postgraduate year at Harvard
University. In the same year, he joined the NAACP and rose to become state
president.