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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.
As part of this celebration of service and leadership, the AYCGL will launch or expand numerous Center Initiatives. We will provide announcements of these opportunities and programs in our monthly newsletter. In this month’s issue of the newsletter, we provide (1) a concise history of the AYCGL, (2) a list of upcoming social justice-focused events and experiences (including an excursion to the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery) as well as service and study abroad opportunities, and (3) a note of gratitude to our sponsors and community partners.
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A Concise History
The Leadership Center at Morehouse College (LCMC) was the brainchild of Dr. Walter Massey, ninth President of Morehouse (1995-2007). In 1995, Coca-Cola provided an initial four-year planning grant that focused on establishing a Leadership Center, including a Leadership Lecture Series, a Pre-College Leadership Program, and pre-construction activities for a physical facility. Under President Massey, Dr. Willis Sheftall, then Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, and a sub-committee of faculty and alumni was convened “to investigate the feasibility of adding an academic, interdisciplinary leadership component to the College curriculum.” The Leadership Center at Morehouse College was founded in 1997. By 1999, the LCMC created a 5-year strategic plan. That same year, one-half of the anticipated $12M was secured for what is now the Massey Leadership Building.
In 2000, Coca-Cola and Bank of America donated additional funding to endow a Leadership Lecture Series. Dr. Walter Fluker served as the endowed Coca-Cola chair of Leadership Studies from 1998 to 2010. In 2001, the Leadership Center proposed the addition of leadership courses to the core curriculum and “the creation of an interdisciplinary leadership studies minor” (Fluker, White). The 2001 proposal, approved by the faculty in 2002, specified that the “leadership studies minor will be housed within the LCMC.” The rationale provided was that the curriculum for the minor would “directly relate to the LCMC-wide goals.” The 1999 strategic plan claimed that “community [or, elsewhere in the document, “the Beloved Community Ideal”] provides the organizing framework for all the Center’s action plans.”
From the outset, the curriculum developed under the auspices of the Leadership Center was anchored in “the Morehouse Tradition of Ethical Leadership.” The LCMC aimed to facilitate “the intellectual and ethical development of individuals for service to society” (1999). The pedagogical idea was that work in the classroom needed to be supplemented with experiential learning opportunities, including study abroad. Between 2002 and 2015, 93 students completed the leadership studies minor. In 2002-2010, there were two full-time professors teaching leadership studies courses; from 2010-2015, there was just one full-time professor (viz., Dr. Melvina King). And between 2005 and 2012, more than 100 students were sponsored for international travel (see 2015, King).
In the summer of 2012, the LCMC celebrated its 15th Anniversary. The program was titled “Coca-Cola Pre-College Leadership Program: Creating the Beloved Community.” At that point, ten years ago, Dr. Melvina King was the interim director and assistant professor of Leadership Studies. Scholars-in-residence included Ambassador Young, Andrea Young, Esq., Preston King, Carter Savage, and Drew Smith. The anniversary program focused largely on the 34 Coca-Cola Pre-College students. Dr. Franklin gave an address titled “Renaissance Men.” The Leadership Center at Morehouse College and the Andrew Young Center for International Affairs were combined into a single Center, the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership, in 2017.
AYCGL (2018-present):
In the spring 2018 President David A. Thomas approved a strategic re-investment in and focus on positioning the Andrew Young Center for the future. Dr. Jann Adams was charged with re-envisioning the Center to reflect the intent of its early leaders, Dr. Walter Massey and Dr. Walter Fluker, and to build infrastructure to support students, faculty, and community in ethical and social justice-focused curricular and co-curricular leadership development activities and community engagement. With the support of Ambassador Young, that year an internal advisory board composed of Morehouse College faculty and staff began the work of re-designing the Center. This internal advisory board continues its work with Dr. J.K. Haynes serving as the chair. Since the reconfiguration of the Center in 2018, the AYCGL is comprised of four interdependent Institutes: the Institute for Research, Civic Engagement, and Policy (IRCEP); the Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis (ISJIP); the Institute for International and Experiential Education (IIEE); and the Leadership Studies Program (LSP). Dr. Jann Adams was appointed as lead director of the AYCGL in 2018 and also directs the work of the IIEE. Dr. David Wall Rice served as the inaugural director of the ISJIP, which is now directed by Dr. Sinead Younge. Dr. Fred Knight directs the IRCEP and Dr. Kipton Jensen directs the LSP. In the Spring of 2020, the faculty approved a revised curriculum for a 17-credit hour minor in Leadership Studies. Dr. Ruihua Shen presently serves as the director of International Education in the IIEE and oversees Study Abroad Programs. AYCGL scholars-in-residence are Ambassador Andrew Young, Andrea Young, Esq., and Dr. Preston King. The Center’s diplomats-in-residence include Ms. Alexious Butler (USAID Development Diplomat) and Mr. Allen DuBose (Department of State). In 2020/2021, Dr. Robert Franklin was the Coca-Cola Endowed Presidential Fellow.
The AYCGL is home to numerous programs and initiatives, including the Social Justice Collective, Student Justice Health Initiative, Prison Education Initiative, study abroad, the More Conversations social justice podcast, and the Oprah Winfrey and SMASH Scholars Programs. For more about the mission and activities of the AYCGL, see our website.
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Photo provided by the Equal Justice Initiative/Human Pictures on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 shows an exhibit at the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Ala.
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Upcoming Opportunities for the Morehouse Community
- Wednesday, February 23, 2022: Social Justice Activist Panel Discussion. This panel, sponsored by ISJIP, will focus on racial and environmental injustice, disability justice, the juvenile legal system, and justice/legal protections for Black queer and trans folks. Panelists include MarTaze Gaines, Rasheera Dopson, Miles Sager, and Fonta High. The event will be held virtually from 5:30-7:00 pm. Use the panel webinar link, here to join.
- Saturday, February 26, 2022: AYCGL/OWSP Day of Service. The AYCGL and Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program will partner with Create ATL for a day of service. Create ATL is a local collaboration space for community, entrepreneurs, and non-profits. In addition to beautifying the Create ATL space in southwest Atlanta, students will benefit from a presentation by community partners on leadership through service, growth mindset, and community. Contact Jann Adams (jann.adams@morehouse.edu) with questions or to volunteer.
- Wednesday, March 2, 2022: College Behind Bars: Screening and Panel Discussion. This panel discussion, to be held in-person in the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center, and also available as a webinar, will focus on higher education in prison and the challenges of re-entry. Panelists will include Jule Hall, who was featured in the College Behind Bars documentary. Our previous College Behind Bars webinar is available here. One of the panelists, Giovannie Hernandez, was interviewed this past October 2021 by Oprah Winfrey Scholar, Jedediah Grady, in a More Conversations podcast.
- Thursday, March 10, 2022: Walk for Peace and Reconciliation. The theme chosen by Ambassador Young for his 90th birthday is “Peace and Reconciliation,” a cause to which he has dedicated his life. Ambassador Young’s birthday celebration will include a symbolic walk from the Centennial Olympic Park to the Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park in Vine City. For more information, contact Jann Adams (jann.adams@morehouse.edu).
- Saturday, March 19, 2022: Excursion to the EJI Legacy Museum and Peace and Justice Memorial. The AYCGL is sponsoring a faculty and student excursion to the Equal Justice Initiative Peace and Justice Memorial and Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL. Morehouse College faculty and students are invited to participate in a day-long experience focused on the history of slavery, racial terror, and mass incarceration in the United States. Faculty are encouraged to integrate this extraordinary experience into appropriate coursework. Space is limited and we would like to accommodate as many members of the Morehouse Community as possible. Please contact Sinead Younge (sinead.younge@morehouse.edu) with questions and apply here by February 18, 2022.
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Morehouse Students in Ireland, Peace Studies, Civil Rights, and Social Justice Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program, January 2020.
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Study Abroad Opportunities
Study Abroad Experience in South Africa
The Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis will lead a study abroad experience to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. Departing on May 15, 2022, the 12-day experience will focus on social justice activism, as well as the politics, history, and culture of South Africa. For more information, contact Sinead Younge (sinead.younge@morehouse.edu). Students must apply by February 25, 2022. Please apply here.
Delta Airlines Ambassador Andrew Young Study Abroad Award
Made possible by an award from Delta Airlines, the Ambassador Andrew Young Study Abroad Award was created to celebrate Ambassador Young’s global leadership and diplomacy. The award will support faculty/staff-led study abroad programs during the spring and summer 2022. The award will provide a $500 scholarship to defray costs for each student and funds to support faculty leader travel.
Julian Grace Social Justice Award
Made possible by an award from the Julian Grace Foundation, the Julian Grace Social Justice Award supports academic-term and faculty/staff-led, social justice-focused study abroad programs. The award will provide a $500 scholarship to defray costs for each student participating in an eligible program.
For information about these opportunities and our study abroad programs, please contact the Director of International Education, Dr. Ruihua Shen (ruihua.shen@morehouse.edu) and visit the Morehouse College Study Abroad website.
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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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