First days of school in metro Atlanta
Thursday — Forsyth County, Marietta city
Monday — Clayton, DeKalb, Fayette and Fulton counties
Atlanta city, Buford city, Cobb, Douglas and Gwinnett counties started Wednesday
Cherokee, Henry and Rockdale counties started Monday
Decatur city, Paulding County started Aug. 1
Former Atlanta Mayor and United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young inspired the mostly black student body at BEST Academy with a message Wednesday to “stay cool” when taunted and form bonds at school that will help them succeed.
“You’re going to have a lot of occasions where people are going to push your buttons and make you mad, but if you get mad, you lose because you turn off your mind when you get mad,” Young said. “That’s why Martin Luther King’s nonviolence worked well. … The only thing we had was the power of our minds and our souls.”
Joined by the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Young told students at the all-boys school that they have a community of Atlanta leaders who they can turn to for support.
Young didn’t mention the recent verdict in the Trayvon Martin case, but he said students should work together socially and academically to overcome their disadvantages.
“It’s hard being a success in a troubled world and that’s why I put so much emphasis on team-building and teamwork, because you can’t do it by yourself,” Young said when asked about Martin after speaking to students.
Young shared stories of marching with King, meeting with President Lyndon Johnson on voting rights legislation and working hard to compete.
He recalled telling a 10-year-old boy years ago that, “You got your ‘fro together. I hope you got your head together.” About 30 years later, that boy had grown up to become Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
“All I’m asking you to do is be the best that you can be,” Young said. “Be a good supporter. You don’t have to be a leader. When your time comes to lead, they will push you up to the front if you have been a good supporter of everybody else.”
BEST Academy is graduating its first senior class this school year after opening to sixth graders in 2007.
“Ambassador Young talked about how success or failure is up to you,” said Principal Timothy Jones. “Strive to be significant. That was a great message.”
RELATED
5 Questions with the Boss: Andrew Young spoke to AJC Sunday Business Editor Henry Unger about Martin Luther King Jr. and life lessons. Read the interview.
About the Author
