Young also dedicated much of her life to involvement in children's rights, and served as the American chairwoman of the United Nation's International Year of the Child in 1979.
[3] She was one of the developers of Atlanta Metropolitan State College, and served there as a public relations officer as well as an advisor for a number of years after the school's establishment.
With the help of Young, this education task force greatly increased the funding given to elementary schools in Atlanta for a period of time.
[3] Her background in education— specifically in regards to creating curriculum for public schools— carried over to her work in Civil Rights, as she created curriculum for “the Citizenship Schools of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.” She also aided her husband in his attempt to secure voters rights for African Americans, including during the Thomasville rallies.
[2] They were inspired by the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling that outlawed segregation, and felt that they could make a substantial impact through such rallies.
[2] Despite initially meeting resistance from the Ku Klux Klan, the 1965 voter registration rally was successfully carried out at a local high school in Thomasville.
[6] Yet when Young and Andrew witnessed the Nashville Sit-Ins of 1960, they felt compelled to return to the South, moving back to Atlanta and becoming more involved in the movement than ever.
Although he initially denied Martin's request that he work for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Andrew joined a few years later, in 1964.
[3] Young decided, in spite of her husband's initial concerns, to attend the march and bring her two daughters, Andrea and Lisa, with her.
The famous march drew mass media attention and contributed to establishing the Voting Rights Act later that year.
[8][1] The International Year of the Child was a program that was funded and supported by the United Nations, and was meant to secure rights and improve the quality of life for children worldwide.
The program came about as a response to the concern that “far too many children, especially in developing countries are undernourished, are without access to adequate health services, are missing the basic educational preparation for their future and are deprived of the elementary amenities of life.”[9] Jimmy Carter claimed to have appointed Young due to her wide expertise in child's rights advocacy and her background in education.
[9] The second goal was to encourage international acknowledgement of the importance of children's organizations, and to promote the idea that such organizations “should be an integral part of economic and social development plans with a view to achieving...sustained activities for the benefit of the children at the national and international levels.”[9] Young was also actively involved in government, and ran campaigns geared towards those underrepresented in politics.
Young has received numerous awards and honors for the work she has done in advocating for the rights of children, women, and African Americans.
[14] A celebration of life in her honor was held at the Atlanta Civic Center, attended by thousands of friends, family and admirers.
[1] The many tributes to Young at the funeral included a poem read by Maya Angelou, a eulogy spoken by Coretta Scott King, and a personal note from President Bill Clinton.