Four-day celebration to honor Andrew Young on his 90th birthday

ATLANTA — In honor of Ambassador Andrew Young’s 90th birthday, The Andrew J. Young Foundation is hosting a four-day celebration that begins March 9 and will conclude March 12 with a grand birthday dinner gala.

Young has chosen the theme “Peace and Reconciliation” for his 90th birthday. According to the ambassador, “There has never been a time when our world needed to embrace peace and reconciliation more than today.”

Starting at noon on March 9, 90 minutes of global prayer for world peace will take place. The prayer service will feature the Trey Clegg singers and additional choirs from other churches in the Atlanta area. In addition to the opening prayer by the Rev. Dwight Andrews, other spiritual leaders from around the world will be featured through videos. The highlight of the service will be the “Peace and Reconciliation” sermon by Young. The event will be livestreamed around the world to spread the message of peace.

On March 10 at 10 a.m., the second day of the celebration will feature a 90-minute walk for peace and reconciliation. The event will begin at Centennial Olympic Park with elected officials, dignitaries and celebrities and opening remarks from Young. It will conclude at the Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park in Vine City. Organizations and individuals can register to participate in the walk, which is anticipated to draw thousands. Registration will is available at www.andrewyoung90.com.

On March 11, the exhibit “The Many Lives of Andrew Young” will open at the Millennium Gate Museum and will highlight the different eras of Young’s life and his many accomplishments in different decades. During this VIP opening reception an accompanying coffee table book published by NewSouth Books will be released. The book, written by Ernie Suggs with an introduction from President Carter, will feature the ambassadors’ stores in his own words with hundreds of photos and images of memorabilia.

Following the exhibit opening, a special dinner will incorporate the Millennium Candler Peace & Justice Prize Ceremony. This year’s honorees will be Millennium Candler Justice Prize Winners Clark Durant, Joe Lonsdale V, Dan T. Cathy and Benjamin C. Adams and the Millennium Candler Peace Prize Winner Dr. Shin Dae-yong. Following the VIP opening, the exhibit will be open to the public beginning March 12th at 11 a.m. Information about limited-time tickets will be available via the Andrew Young 90th birthday celebration website.

The celebration will conclude with the actual 90th birthday gala at The World Congress Center, which will raise funds to further the mission of Young’s foundation. The evening will feature tributes from individuals, to be announced, along with an amazing array of talent in music and song. The public can go to www.andrewyoung90.com for tickets and sponsorship information.

Through serving as a student, preacher, civil rights activist, Congressman, United Nations Ambassador, mayor of Atlanta, co-chair of the 1996 Olympics and more, Young has worked to build communities and inspire unity among people across the globe.

According to the planning board, this 90th birthday celebration and fundraising event is a special time for individuals to reflect and celebrate the legacy and impact of Young and his efforts in making Atlanta, America, and the world a better place.

Special Photo: Kevin D. Liles