Andrew Young: Civil Rights Ambassador (Biographies in American Foreign Policy)

Andrew Young: Civil Rights Ambassador explores the rising influence of race in foreign relations as it examines the contributions of this African American activist, politician, and diplomat to U.S. foreign policy. Young used his positions as a member of the United States House of Representatives (1973D77), U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations (1977D79), and mayor of Atlanta during the 1980s to further the cause of race in diplomatic affairs and to bring an emphasis to United States relations with Africa. Author Andrew DeRoche begins his study of Young by looking at his formative years as a top assistant to Martin Luther King in the 1960s. It was during this period that Young developed his philosophy and his tactics. Young was committed to working for racial justice around the globe and he was willing to meet with all sides in any conflict. One of the few books that focuses on the influence of race in U.S. foreign policy, Andrew Young: Civil Rights Ambassador is informative reading for those interested in diplomatic history and African American history.

Andrew J. DeRoche teaches history at Front Range Community College in Longmont, Colorado. He is the author of Black, White, and Chrome: The United States and Zimbabwe, 1953-1998 (2001).