Dr. Battle joins Ambassador Andrew Young for a Fireside chat at Sutton Middle School during Black History Month.
Sutton Middle School Fireside Chat with Ambassador Andrew Young and Dr. Danielle Battle. Photo: Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
Atlanta, Georgia has often been referred to as the cradle of the modern Civil Rights Movement, serving as the home to several key leaders who fought for desegregation and the rights of all African Americans.
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is situated in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement’s epicenter, providing invaluable access to historical leaders who continue advocating for the rights of others today.
Sutton Middle School students received the opportunity to learn from a notable figure, United States Ambassador Andrew Young, as the school hosted a Fireside Chat including Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle in celebration of Black History Month.
Each school year, Sutton Middle School picks a theme that they weave into the fabric of everything they do and encourage the surrounding community to reflect on how they can incorporate the theme into their everyday lives. This school year, that theme is tolerance.
Likewise, each month, the students focus on different International Baccalaureate responsibilities called learner profiles. The profile for the month of February is focus.
Sutton Middle School principal Dominique Merriweather served as the moderator for the chat and asked both Ambassador Young and Dr. Battle several questions curated to explore both concepts.
Ambassador Young shared advice and gems of wisdom, amassed over 91 years, stressing the importance of not letting the hatred and insecurities of others fill their hearts with hatred in return.
He also gave them insight into how his willingness to talk to and work with people of all races played a significant role in his ability to assist in bringing the Olympic Games to Atlanta in 1996 and garnered the support he needed to become a Georgia senator, the mayor of Atlanta and ultimately a United States Ambassador.
Dr. Battle echoed similar guidance, emphasizing the importance of respecting everyone and treating others like family. She also touched on the district’s academic, safety, and supportive resources efforts, highlighting the significance of Social Emotional Learning and conflict resolution.
Here is a small glimpse of the enriching discussion that took students on a journey of growth and understanding. A lasting impression that is meant to be paid forward.
U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young at the Sutton Middle School Fireside Chat. Photo: Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
Dominique Merriweather (DM): Throughout your life, you’ve encountered many challenges and obstacles. How did you, Ambassador, maintain resilience and optimism in the face of adversity, and what advice would you give us when facing these similar challenges?
Andrew Young (AY): I believe because I was born in the midst of adversity in a neighborhood with a lot of different forces 30-40 feet from where I was born, that it wasn’t a matter of tolerance; it was a matter of survival. I had to get along with people to keep from getting beat up going to the grocery store. And I learned to appreciate people. I learned there was something good about everybody, even if they didn’t know it, and even if they didn’t act like it. I never had any problem with people who were racist because I understood that they just hadn’t had an opportunity to know anybody, and they were listening to what their grandparents and great-grandparents might have said about things that they heard that came from slavery. And I never took offense when they didn’t appreciate me. And part of it is you’ve got to get yourself anchored in, well, I learned earlier that in my family, it was anchored in the Lord. Now, my grandmama was blind, she lived to be 86 years old, and she lost her sight when she was 80. She used to make me read the Bible to her. Every day, I had to read the Bible and the newspaper, and the reason I supported the lottery here was I not only had to read the newspaper, but I had to find out what the numbers were. My grandmama liked to play the numbers, nickel and dime. But because my grandmama played the numbers, I supported the Georgia Lottery with Governor Zell Miller, and I think we’ve got a million more college students in Georgia on the Hope Scholarship. I think all the things that happen in your life have some meaning to it. Some can have a negative meaning, and some can have a positive meaning. And that was a song when I was growing up. “You’ve got to accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Latch on to the affirmative, don’t mess with Mr. In Between.”
APS Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle at the Sutton Middle School Fireside Chat. Photo: Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
DM: Dr. Battle, you mentioned in your bio your plan to lead forward with C.A.R.E. (compassion, accountability, respect and empathy). Could you elaborate on what caring looks like in your role when you’re meeting with your current stakeholders?
Danielle Battle (DB): What care looks like to me is respecting everyone. A lot of times we say that, but I want to, and I always try to model that. But leading forward with care— no matter what building I walk in, no matter where I go to represent Atlanta Public Schools or myself, I’m always going to be cordial to everyone, talk to everyone, because everyone matters. People like to be respected, people like to be recognized, people like to know that you see them. It’s important to also be a great listener because people have things they want to say. It’s important that no matter who they are, no matter what their zip code may be, no matter what their job title may be, or no matter whose mother or father they are, or sister or brother they are, we walk and we treat that person like they’re our family.
So just making sure that I model that behavior. And then not just me, but the entire district, because it’s not a one-pony show. Atlanta Public Schools is comprised of thousands and thousands of employees, and when I say we’re leading forward with care, it’s we’re leading forward with care. As we say, Atlanta is the place that influences everything. We want Atlanta to influence [the message that] tolerance is where it is and what’s happening in the world.
AY: Let me put a little something on that. I’ve got nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. And I try to tell them all the time that they have got to be forces of decency and kindness and love in school. And where that starts for me, and I’m talking to the students now, when I started speaking to my teachers and when I went into the classroom, I didn’t go in the back of the room. I went by the front desk and said good morning Mrs. Jones. So, good morning, speaking and calling a teacher by name may be the difference between a C and a B. It also may be a difference between a D and an F. But I guarantee you, the way you act in relationship to your teachers influences what your teachers think about you. And when you smile all the time, and when you always have the right answer and you’re kind to your classmates, that’s an A student.
DM: What role do you see young people playing in shaping the future of our district here in Atlanta Public Schools?
DB: Our students play a vital role because we couldn’t do what we do without you, first of all. But secondly, you have a lot to say, and we’re always here to listen to it. I noticed you have a student council, but on the district level, where we have a Superintendent’s Student’s Advisory Council where the students come to share with us great ideas. They meet with our board of education, and they share with us because they’re in the trenches every day. The things that they share, we implement. I mean, student voices are important. You’re going lead the way. You are already leading the way. We’re starting with our high schools, but definitely, we’re here to listen to what you have to say. But we also know that sometimes, when you come to ideas that are out there, that are way out there, we think about it, and there are some great things that happen to our students. So, just know that your voices matter. Always share what you’re thinking because I always say students have the answers.
Enjoy the below slideshow of photos from the Sutton Middle School Fireside Chat. View online here. Photos: Allison M. Slocum, APS ©
Also, check out the video recap below from the Sutton Middle School Fireside Chat. APS ©
(Courtesy Lillie Blades and Andrew Young Foundation) Jean Childs Young Middle School was named in honor of the late first wife of former United States U.N. Ambassador and mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young. A new mentoring program at the schools seeks to encourage students to act more like their school’s namesake.
By Seth Coleman
Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and mayor of Atlanta Andrew Young, is the epitome of a man: smart, confident, stately, and thoughtful. His late first wife, Jean Childs Young was the embodiment of a lady: intelligent, beautiful, elegant, and kindhearted.
Now, administrators and community partners at the school named in her honor hope to establish a new mentoring program that will lead more students to carry themselves in a manner befitting the Youngs.
“We want them to know there is an important legacy here, and to know what that means,” said Gwen Atkinson, a retired Atlanta Public School principal working with Young Middle School’s new principal, Kevin Scott. “We want them to know their school has a history that they should feel good about and strive to uphold.”
Recently, the southwest Atlanta school honored the memory of Mrs. Young with its annual Jean Childs Young Day celebration. The event featured performances by the Young Middle School orchestra and bella voce, a video presentation about Mrs. Young, and remarks by her children – Andrea Young, Professor of Practice at the Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, and Andrew “Bo” Young, III, chief executive officer of PakLab.
But the showstopper was the former mayor and ambassador. Though he will turn 84-years old next month, Mr. Young, an icon of the Civil Rights Movement, commanded the room of middle schoolers.
“The first thing he told them was to sit up in their chairs and pay attention, and they did,” Scott said. “The students were totally engaged in what he had to say.”
Mr. Young’s message of self-respect and non-violent means of conflict resolution was one the students needed to hear, Scott said.
“He told them that as the U.N. Ambassador, he represented the biggest, badest bully in the world,” Scott said. “But he told them his goal was to always come to peaceful agreements. He wanted them to know and understand that there are better ways to resolve conflicts than fighting.”
Jean Childs Young Middle School Principal Kevin Scott (right) poses with former United States U.N. Ambassador and mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young, during the Jean Childs Young Day celebration at the school.
Scott, who became principal at the start of the second semester, said he hopes to launch the mentoring program later this spring. He is being assisted by the Andrew Young Foundation, the Camellia Rose Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and nearby Mount Vernon Baptist Church, among other organizations.
“We want the program to be large-scale,” Scott said. “We just don’t want a few men and women to come over from time to time to work with a large group of students. We want all of our students to have a mentor, so we can establish those one-one-one relationships. That’s important.”
Mrs. Young was a former educator and administrator in Atlanta Public Schools and founder of the APS Dream Jamboree, a large-scale college fair for middle and high school students that has grown over the past 25 years into one of the largest such events in the nation. Her work with children and her own efforts as a part of the Civil Rights Movement, made sure she was never overshadowed by her husband of 40 years.
Mrs. Young passed away in 1994, but her legacy of academic achievement and compassion lives on. Scott wants to instill that legacy in his female students, while his male students are molded in the image of Mr. Young.
“I was so proud of our students,” Scott said. “They were involved and engaged in the program. I think it was very enlightening to them and showed them the history they represent. It showed them that they can do it. They can be successful, no matter where they come from, and our new mentoring program will help us continue reinforcing those positive messages to them.”
In honor of Black History Month, Major League Baseball‘s long-time home run king Hank Aaron was joined by former U.N. Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and Major League Baseball to talk to students about the sport’s connection to the Civil Rights Movement during an assembly at Jean Childs Young Middle School on Feb. 14.
Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball initiatives for the Major League Baseball, opened the assembly by asking the students what they wanted to be when they grew up. “Did you know that Ambassador Young wanted to be a dentist — just like his daddy?” said Solomon. “And that Hank Aaron wanted to be a carpenter? Kids like you can be whatever it is you want to be. But it is going to require a lot of hard work.”
More than 180 male volunteers will fan out among Atlanta Public Schools’ 4,000 second-graders to help boost literacy through the R.E.A.L. Men Read program. Started in Chicago’s public school system and then to Houston, R.E.A.L. (“read, excel, achieve, lead”) Men Read hopes to solve two ongoing concerns: the lack of visible male role models who read, and the lack of books available in the homes of young students.
The volunteers will make monthly visits to the elementary schools over the next sixth months, introducing the students to books by reading to them, and then offering a seventh book for summer reading. The program enjoyed a kickoff event on Nov. 9 at The New Schools at Carver, with a reception featuring a version of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” by Carver School of the Arts senior DeAngela Glaze. (Watch her entire performance here.) Motivational speaker Mike Howard served as MC, and the program featured appearances by SRT-3 Executive Director Michael Pitts, Atlanta City Council member Ceasar Mitchell, APS literacy director Monishae Mosley-O’Neill, a videotaped speech by Ambassador Andrew Young, and an appearance by Greg Worrell, president of Scholastic Classroom and Library Group.
Watch the video above, which includes highlights from the program along with an in-depth explanation of the program by Mosley-O’Neill.
The Read, Excel, Achieve, Lead (R.E.A.L.) Men Read steering committee, consisting of a virtual who’s who of Atlanta business, government and community leaders, convenes at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, at the Center for Learning & Leadership, 130 Trinity Ave., SW, Atlanta 30303, to finalize the program, which will be launched next month. R.E.A.L. Men Read is a mentoring program consisting of male volunteers willing to devote an hour of their time once a month to read aloud to students. The volunteers are provided with grade-level appropriate books, and the students receive copies of the books to take home and potentially involve their parents in reading activities.
Studies have clearly shown that it is critical for students to transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” by the time they reach the fourth grade to promote their continued academic success. This program focuses on second-graders, encouraging them to read by the example set by adult male role models.
The steering committee consists of Ambassador Andrew Young, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell, Hall of Famer baseball legend Hank Aaron and others.
Members of the steering committee will finalize volunteer recruitment strategies and advocacy for the program during the group’s meeting Thursday.
UPDATE: For more photos from this morning’s visit, click here.
Members of the Young family joined members of the Young community in helping to solidify the legacy of Jean Childs Young with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the middle school’s massive renovation. Ambassador Andrew Young joined his daughter, Andrea Young, and several other family members to remember his late wife for whom the school is named. The setting could not have been more appropriate: a 500-seat, 45,000 square foot auditorium with a state-of-the-art sound system that is the crown jewel of a year-long, $22 million renovation.
Andrea Young, executive director of the Andrew Young Foundation, gave a moving tribute to her late mother and the importance of carrying on her name in a building committed to her motto: “Every child is a gifted child.”
Other guest speakers included Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall, Atlanta Board of Education member Emmett D. Johnson, SRT-1 Executive Director Sharon Davis Williams, Young Principal Thomas E. Kenner, and Travis Alford – senior project manager for H.J. Russell & Company, which oversaw the renovation. The performing arts were on full display during the proceedings. The Mays High School orchestra performed for guests before and after the ceremony. Guests were treated to performances inside the auditorium by the Young Middle School Orchestra, directed by Erik Herndon; the Young Middle School Jazz Band, directed by Robert Joffrey; a dance performance by Young graduate Ashlee Rouse; a vocal selection from the Young Middle School Trio; and a poem by two Young students. Sixth-grader Aja Crosson greeted the audience, while seventh-grader Geramy Perriman introduced Andrea Young and her address.
Later in the day students shared poems, posters and letters written to the late Jean Childs Young in celebration of the day’s events.
Other renovations on the building include a refurbished gymnasium, an amphitheatre and a new football field as well as new track-and-field facilities on the 15-acre campus.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Jean Childs Young Middle School is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, April 2. Ambassador Andrew Young, founding principal and co-chairman of Goodworks International, LLC; Kasim Reed, mayor of Atlanta; and Andrea Young, executive director, Andrew Young Foundation, are scheduled to participate. APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall and Atlanta Board of Education member Emmett D. Johnson are also among the participants. The new facility opened to students for the first time in early January.
Toomer Elementary School welcomes APS and the entire school community to participate in a “Talk with a Historical Icon Session” with former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young on Friday (Feb. 19), from 1 p.m t0 2 p.m. in the school auditorium. Toomer Principal Nicole Evans Jones and Toomer’s parent liaison, Joi Jackson, arranged the event and in recognition of Black History Month. It’s an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the historical time frame of the Civil Rights Movement, and to have a personal encounter with a historical icon such as Young.
The event will provide Toomer’s third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, parents and community members with an opportunity to listen to Andrew Young speak. Following the speech, the audience will participate in a question-and-answer session. Toomer’s third-, fourth- and fifth-graders have learned about Young by reading biographical information, completing research and learning about his role in the movement, and the entire school community is looking forward to the event.
Filmmaker Richard Karz (left), Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. Beverly Tatum and U.S. Rep. John Lewis
Filmmaker Richard Karz spent years compiling footage of African-American luminaries in the fields of education, entertainment and civil rights for his documentary on race relations. Once the project was complete, he decided to unveil the fruits of his labor to the next generation of leaders — 700 junior and senior high school students from Atlanta Public Schools.
Frederick Douglass High School provided the backdrop for a preview of Karz’ documentary, “Legacy: Black & White in America,” which tackles the lasting impact of slavery on modern-day issues such as quality education, poverty and crime. Karz featured Ambassador Andrew Young, Spelman College President Dr. Beverly Tatum and U.S. Rep. John Lewis in the documentary, and they offered commentary on the film after the viewing. 11Alive education reporter Donna Lowry served as moderator for the discussion.