1970's Government and Politics | Young, Andrew Jackson, Jr., 1932-

AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, 1977-1979

A New Symbol.

Upon Andrew Young's 1976 nomination to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, syndicated columnist Mary McGrory wrote that the "symbolism of a black American speaking for this country to all the nations of the world will not be lost," and Young became the symbol of the Carter administration's effort to transform U.S. foreign policy. He repaired strained relations between the United States and the Third World and drew attention to human-rights abuses around the globe. Traditionalists critical of such foreign-policy shifts also focused on Young. Their opposition to him, combined with Young's tendency for off-the-cuff remarks and un-diplomatic language, forced him from office in 1979.

Civil Rights Leader.

A lifetime of advocacy for social justice and morality in government made Young the perfect symbol of the Carter administration's commitment to...