In honor and appreciation of Civil Rights leader, Ambassador Andrew Young's 90th Birthday Celebration, an exceptional traveling exhibit by the National Monument Foundation premieres at Drake University from February 1, 2024 - March 1, 2024. The exhibit is based on a 256-page coffee table book, The Many Lives of Andrew Young, designed by Don Bermudez with a narrative by Ernie Suggs, reporter with the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and includes an introduction from President Carter and President of the Andrew J. Young Foundation, Gaurav Kumar.

The 100-linear foot exhibit at Cowles Library (Reading Room), will allow visitors to see amazing photographs and narrative from the 10 lives that Ambassador Andrew Young has lived: Boyhood, minister, civil rights icon, congressman, UN Ambassador, Mayor of Atlanta, presenter of the Centennial Olympic Games, businessman, philanthropist, and documentarian.

Walking through the beautiful panels, the exhibit will provide visitors a view of photographs and artifacts from Andrew Young’s outstanding life and leadership as have never been seen before. While Ambassador Young is known as a civil rights icon around the world and the title Ambassador goes with him everywhere, few stop to think about the many responsibilities and positions of leadership he has held over the course of his 90 years.

This traveling exhibit is made possible through the generous support of Brent (ED'70) and Diane (ED'70) Slay, through the Slay Fund for Social Justice at Drake University. The exhibit will be accompanied by a closing reception and celebration of Black History Month, featuring Ambassador Andrew Young and Ernie Suggs at Drake University, on February 26-27, 2024. 

The exhibit is open to all Drake faculty, staff, and students during regular Cowles Library hours (including weekends). Instructors are encouraged to incorporate the exhibit into related-classes; classroom visits can be reserved through Hope Bibens (hope.bibens@drake.edu) and an instructional resource guide can be requested through Jill Allen (jill.allen@drake.edu).

The exhibit is open to the general public at the following times:

• Monday-Friday 7:30am - 6:00pm
• Saturday/Sunday 11:00am-6:00pm

Community guests should enter Cowles Library at North entrance, and proceed to Reading Room (2nd floor) or visit the Information Desk, which is up the stairs and to the left of the entrance, where a student will be happy to take them to the exhibit. Guests requiring assistance using the ADA lift at the North entrance, should ring the bell and a student will assist them.

To learn more about the Slay Fund for Social Justice, please visit: https://www.drake.edu/slay/ or contact Jill Allen, Director of the Slay Fund, at slayfund@drake.edu.