Civil rights icon to deliver Emory's commencement address

Former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young will give the commencement address at Emory University, the school announced Monday.

“Ambassador Young is a true American hero,” Emory President Claire E. Sterk said in a statement. “I’m thrilled that our graduates will have the opportunity to hear from a leader who has inspired and helped so many people. He has been a trailblazing advocate for civil and human rights, and as mayor he fueled Atlanta’s metamorphosis into a global gateway. His leadership and his personal story serve as outstanding examples for us all.”

Young, a longtime civil and human rights activist, is a former Atlanta mayor and help bring the 1996 Summer Olympics to the city. Young, U.S. Rep. John Lewis and Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., participated in the opening coin toss of the Super Bowl earlier this month.

The university will award Young its President’s Medal, conferred on distinguished university guests who have enhanced the prospect of peace or enriched cultural achievement. Young already has a honorary degree from Emory.

The commencement is scheduled for May 13.

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