Whitney M. Young Jr. and Vanguard Leadership

Abstract

In 1961, at the age of 39, Whitney M. Young Jr. was appointed executive director of the National Urban League, an organization addressing the employment and job-training needs of African Americans in urban areas. In the decade that followed, the league experienced unprecedented growth as Young articulated new approaches to urban unemployment and job discrimination, introduced innovative programs, and attracted major new corporate support. During this period, the league staff quadrupled and the budget increased tenfold.¹ Corporate giving went from $70,000 to $1,973,000.² Young elevated the league to new heights.

A strategy of negotiation demands of black leadership a sense of unity and purpose… It will demand of us a discipline and a willingness to rise above differences of doctrine and personality for the greater good of all black people.

—Whitney M. Young Jr.