Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
Tuskegee University will launch its 2026-2027 Lyceum Series, Reliving the Black Renaissance: Celebrating History, Culture and Dialogue through Voices that Inspire, with renowned civil rights icon, former congressman, diplomat, and philanthropist Ambassador Andrew J. Young on Friday, Sept. 11, at 11 a.m. in the University Chapel.
Ambassador Young will participate in a conversation centered on his transformational career and enduring impact as a civil rights leader, political figure, and global advocate whose work has shaped American history and influenced communities around the world. Kennedi Maxwell, Student Government Association president, will moderate the discussion.
The event marks the opening of the university’s second year of the Lyceum Engagement Series, an initiative designed to provide students, faculty, and the broader community with opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue with influential academic, cultural, business, and political leaders. The Lyceum Series was launched in fall 2025 to reestablish a dedicated forum for intellectual engagement and dialogue on campus.
“We are honored to have Ambassador Young visit Mother Tuskegee to join our students in a conversation about the many ways the Civil Rights Movement lives on in them,” said Dr. Mark A. Brown, president and CEO of Tuskegee University. “Ambassador Young is a giant upon whose shoulders they stand and whose current work to address real-world issues through his foundation is impacting people around the world.”
Ambassador Young’s appearance at Tuskegee University will provide students with a firsthand perspective on the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the ongoing responsibility to create space for respectful, honest and results-focused civic engagement in addressing contemporary challenges.
“Through the Lyceum Engagement Series, Tuskegee reaffirms its commitment to intellectual inquiry and civic engagement by connecting our students and the broader community with distinguished voices whose experiences inspire critical thinking and informed leadership,” said Dr. Thierno Thiam, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.
A close ally of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ambassador Young played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. As executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), he served as one of the movement’s principal strategists and became a trusted adviser and friend to King during some of the nation’s most consequential struggles for racial justice and equality.
He later made history as the first African American elected to Congress from Georgia since Reconstruction, serving three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed him as United States Ambassador to the United Nations, where he became a leading voice for human rights, self-determination, and African decolonization.
His public service continued with his election as mayor of Atlanta in 1981. During his tenure, he helped transform the city into an international center for business, entertainment, and culture. Ambassador Young’s leadership was instrumental in securing the 1996 Olympic Games for Atlanta, a milestone widely credited with accelerating economic growth throughout the city and the broader South.
In 2003, he established the Andrew J. Young Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing education, health care, leadership development, and global human rights initiatives. Through the foundation, he continues to advocate for underserved communities and promote peace and opportunity worldwide.
An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ for more than 60 years, Ambassador Young views his work through the foundation as an extension of both his ministry and the broader mission of the Civil Rights Movement.
Throughout his distinguished career as a minister, civil rights leader, congressman, ambassador, mayor, and philanthropist, Ambassador Young has built a legacy defined by advocacy, service, and a commitment to expanding opportunities for future generations.
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