Former Atlanta Mayor and UN Ambassador Andy Young will celebrate his 85th birthday with former Vice President Joe Biden, actor Anthony Anderson and recording artists Usher, Jill Scott, Wyclef Jean, Estelle and Anthony Brown. You’re invited!
The 2017 Andrew J. Young International Leadership Awards & 85th Birthday Tribute, hosted by Anderson and featuring musical performances, will be at 7:30 p.m. June 3 at Philips Arena. Tickets start at $85 and are available here. Tickets benefit the Andrew J. Young Foundation.
“Changing the world happens one step at a time, through acts of leadership and courage,” Young said in a statement released by the Foundation. “It is the work of generations, with progress made possible by those who pass on the lessons learned from both successes and setbacks, and most importantly, the necessary knowledge that positive change is indeed possible.”
The evening's highlights include a number of awards presentations. Biden will receive the Chairman’s Award, an "honor .. given to an individual whose lifelong leadership has demonstrated excellence in areas that reflect Ambassador Young’s life’s work as Pastor (Community Engagement), Activist (Civil Rights and Civic Participation), U.N. Ambassador (International Humanitarian Initiatives) and Congressman and Mayor of Atlanta (Public Policy and Advocacy)."
Leadership Award recipients are:
- Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Bob Bland, National Co-Chairs of the Women's March on Washington
- Education pioneer Ron Clark of Atlanta's renowned Ron Clark Academy
- Activist, commentator, and Dream Corps founder Van Jones, "for promoting human rights and police accountability and helping young people fill jobs, not jails;"
- Singer, songwriter, rapper and producer Akon, "whose Akon Lighting Africa project is using small-scale solar energy systems and street lights to bring transformational change to communities in Africa whose development has been harmed by lack of electricity."
“These award recipients exemplify a personal commitment to helping fellow humankind and achieving progress in global communities,” Young said.
The event is sponsored by Delta Airlines, Forbes Africa, Cox Enterprises, The Coca-Cola Company, and V-103 FM Atlanta. It will be filmed for future broadcast.
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