The National Monuments Foundation was proud to partner with the Andrew Young Foundation for the celebration of Ambassador Young's 90th birthday. Andy wanted his landmark birthday to have a theme of Peace and Reconciliation. It was his wish that everyone would take a least 90 minutes for prayer and to reconcile with someone with whom they have had differences in the past. To spread this message as far as possible, we organized a 4 day celebration which was covered by media from around the world. Notably, Cox Communications told us their coverage was seen by 750,000,000 people worldwide.

The celebration began on March 9th with a global prayer for peace and reconciliation. Ambassador Young led the interdenominational sermon from his First Congregational Church, and it was broadcast live around the world.

On March 10th, Ambassador Young led a Walk for Peace and Reconciliation beginning in Centennial Olympic Park, traveling down Andrew Young International Boulevard and up Northside Drive to end in Rodney Cook, Sr. Peace Park. We were joined by thousands including Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, Metropolitan Jonah of the Russian Orthodox Church in Washington, Archbishop Foley Beech, Reverend Bernice King, Academy Award winning actor Lou Gossett, Jr., Venezuelan Freedom Fighter Leopoldo Lopez, and many more who wished to spread Andy's message. Many from the Ukrainian and Russian communities in Atlanta walked together with us, and local press in those countries covered this unusual event.

The walk was followed by a peace luncheon in the Bank of America lobby at Georgia State's Robinson College of Business, across from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. The luncheon was hosted by Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island Forming Impact Group.

March 11th marked the grand opening of the new exhibition at the Millennium Gate Museum, The Many Lives of Andrew Young. The grand opening complemented the 2022 Millennium Candler Peace and Justice Prize Awards Ceremony. Andy was the first Millennium Candler Peace Prize winner, and many of this year's winners were friends and/or colleagues of Ambassador Young, who handed out the prizes.

Ambassador Young's 90th birthday on March 12th was celebrated by thousands at a black tie event at the Georgia World Congress Center. The city turned out in great numbers to celebrate this Son of the South. 

Please enjoy some selected photos: