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This year, 2022, marks the 25th Anniversary of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership (AYCGL) and the 90th birthday of the namesake of the Center, Ambassador Andrew J. Young. Over the course of this year, the AYCGL will celebrate the leadership legacy of Ambassador Young and the history of the Leadership Center at Morehouse College.
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AYCGL SOCIAL JUSTICE COLLLECTIVE
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The Social Justice Collective is a key initiative of the Institute for Research, Civic Engagement, and Policy (IRCEP) in the Andrew Young Center. Developed during the 2020 summer of Black protest, the vision of the Social Justice Collective is to connect organizations, grassroots activists, researchers, and other community stakeholders through projects that advance social justice and equity, particularly for historically marginalized black communities. The Collective allows Morehouse to deepen its impact on its surrounding community in southwest Atlanta and engage in broader work to support underserved communities.
The Opportunity Agenda
To advance this work, the Center has partnered with the Atlanta and Dekalb County chapters of the NAACP, the People’s Agenda, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, and Georgia Stand Up to hold a community forum between grassroots organization and elected officials on April 30, 2022, at Friendship Baptist Church. Envisioned by the Atlanta NAACP’s Richard Rose, president; Karen Rene, Second Vice President and East Point Councilperson; and Raymond McClendon, Political Action Committee Chair, the program seeks to create higher levels of accountability of elected officials to their constituents and community stakeholders. “The Opportunity Agenda: Advancing Justice and Equity for All” will set goals and action items in four major areas: education, economic opportunity, criminal justice, and healthcare. This forum is the beginning of a series of collaborations and community engagements.
Gideon’s Promise Summer Institute at Morehouse College
The Center has forged a partnership with Gideon’s Promise to hold their Summer Institute on Morehouse’s campus from July 15-30, 2022. The organization provides training and support to public defenders and their offices to promote justice in the criminal legal system. The Summer Institute will offer workshops and trainings to recently graduated lawyers from across the country who will enter careers of public service law, and Morehouse students will have opportunities to serve as interns and volunteers.
As part of the partnership, three Morehouse students currently serve as interns with Gideon’s Promise. Kameron Smith, junior political science major from Newport News, Virginia, Walker Hill, junior political science major, and Jordan Tune, senior political science major from Silver Springs, Maryland. Beyond supporting the day-to-day operations of the organization, the interns were invited to a class at the John Marshall Law School by law professor and founder of Gideon’s Promise John Rapping. They also attended court to gain further insight into careers in law.
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Social Justice Think Tank
As part of the Social Justice Collective, the Institute for Research, Civic Engagement, and Policy will hold a think tank from on May 18-19, 2022. Jessica Finocchiaro, Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at CU-Boulder and Community Engagement Co-Lead, Machine Design for Social Good; Dr. Rachel Harding, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at CU-Denver and Co-Director of the Veterans of Hope Project; Daniel Minter, Visual Artist and Co-Founder of the Indigo Arts Alliance; and Nathaniel Smith, Founder and Chief Equity Officer of the Partnership for Southern Equity will convene to bring the work of computational science in conversation with the arts, humanities, and community organizers. The broader goal of the think tank is for it initiate the Andrew Young Center’s role as a home for ongoing engagements between data scientists, the academic community, and community leaders who are working to improve the quality of the lives of black people.
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Oprah Winfrey Scholars Day of Service
The Oprah Winfrey Scholars program partnered with CreateATL to perform a day of service on February 26, 2022. CreateATL was founded to transform “blighted industrial properties into collaboration spaces guided by community voices.” The scholars focused on CreateATL’s community and entrepreneurship space in southwest Atlanta’s Ashview Heights neighborhood, and more about the day of service can be seen here.
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Equal Justice Initiative – Legacy Museum and Memorial Visit
On March 19, 2022, the Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis and Oprah Winfrey Program organized a visit by Morehouse students, faculty, and staff to the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The Museum provided an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to reflect upon the history of Africans’ experience in American, including the middle passage, enslavement, reconstruction, Jim Crow, the history of lynching in the U.S., civil rights and more. Participants had the opportunity to visit the Legacy Museum and Peace and Justice Memorial which honors the victims of lynching in the U.S. from 1877 – 1950. Anthony Ray Hinton, an EJI exoneree and author of The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row, presented to and spent time answering questions posed by Morehouse participants. Highlights of the visit can be seen here.
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Spotlight on Study Abroad
The Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership Program is a social justice-focused study abroad experience for Oprah Winfrey scholars. This 12-day, all expenses paid experience in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, focuses on the history and culture of South Africa, the fight for social justice, and the current challenges facing the country. Oprah Winfrey scholars are exposed to the history of Apartheid and activism in the country and meet students and leaders at universities, foundations, and historic sites who share the history of the country. Scholars participate in service, visit the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, and visit Pilanesburg National Park. The South Africa Leadership Program will take place from May 15 – May 27, 2022.
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Saturday, April 16, 12 Noon: Community Forum “The Opportunity Agenda: Advancing Equity and Justice.” Friendship Baptist Church
The AYCGL is partnering with the Atlanta Chapter of the NAACP to hold a community forum titled “The Opportunity Agenda: Advancing Equity and Justice.” During this convening, grassroots leaders and activists will meet with recently elected government officials to explore solutions to inequities in our economic, health, educational, and criminal justice systems. Atlanta University Center students who are interested in attending should send an email to Frederick Knight (Frederick.Knight@morehouse.edu).
Tuesday, April 26, 2022, 5:30 – 7:00 pm: Reception and Book Discussion with Dr. Robert Franklin, President Emeritus and author of Moral Leadership. Massey Conference Center
The AYCGL will host a reception celebrating Dr. Robert Franklin’s latest book titled Moral Leadership: Integrity, Courage, Imagination (2020). The reception will take place in the Massey Conference Center and be followed by a discussion in the Bank of America Auditorium. The first 50 registrants will receive a free copy of the book. Please register at https://bit.ly/3wXS9dC.
Thursday and Friday, June 2-3, 2022: AYCGL Faculty Leadership Retreat
In partnership with the Office of Academic Affairs, the AYCGL will facilitate a faculty leadership retreat on June 2-3. The objectives of the retreat are to develop a strategy to support faculty leadership development, identify opportunities for the College to extend its impact into local, national, and international communities, and envision how the Andrew Young Center can effectively partner with faculty to advance the work of the Center and College. For more information, please contact Jann Adams (jann.adams@morehouse.edu).
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Morehouse College student Colton Sherburne, ’23, stands in the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, March 2022. Photo taken by Mikki Harris.
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Pardee RAND Faculty Leaders Program: Application deadline is Friday, April 15, 2022
Pardee RAND Graduate School is now accepting applications for its 9th Faculty Leaders Program, which will be run this July. The 2022 program will be fully virtual, with three intensive days of instruction, three hours of one-on-one mentoring, and two follow-up group sessions. Fellowships cover tuition and provide a $1,000 stipend will be awarded to up to sixteen participants. The Faculty Leaders Program at Rand Pardee seeks to build diversity in public policy through strong engagement of faculty across the United States. For more information, visit their program website or contact us at facultyleaders@rand.org.
AYCGL Social Justice and Leadership Innovation Awards: Application deadline is Friday, April 22, 2022
To advance the College’s strategic priority, “Morehouse Beyond Borders”, the AYCGL focuses on impacting the campus and broader community through multiple efforts. To advance this work, the AYCGL seeks to support faculty work in an area of their choice. This work may include research, course development, engagement in service, leadership development, community collaboration, or study abroad program development. Awards of up to $5000 will be made. Please contact Jann Adams (jann.adams@morehouse.edu) for more information.
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A Note of Gratitude to Our Sponsors
The work of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, including Coca Cola, Bank of America, Ms. Oprah Winfrey and the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, the SMASH Foundation, Delta Airlines, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Microsoft, the Julian Grace Foundation, The General, and the RAND Corporation. We wish to thank these donors for their sustained support of the AYCGL.
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