Delta Airlines recently announced it will be renaming its Atlanta headquarters in honor of former mayor and UN Ambassador, Andrew Young.
The announcement came March 11, one day before the civil rights activist’s 89th birthday, according to Delta News.
“Ambassador Young has had a tremendous influence on Delta, Atlanta, the state of Georgia and the world,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in the announcement. “He has been paramount in Delta’s success, and his leadership serves as a constant reminder for us to push the boundaries. I can’t think of a better building to bear his name than the building many new hires enter on their first day.”
A ceremony to commemorate the honor was held and current Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was in attendance. Delta also donated $1 million to the Andrew J. Young Foundation which works to promote education leadership and human rights across the US, Caribbean, and throughout the continent of Africa.
Young made history in 1977 as the first African American to be made an ambassador to the United Nations under former President Jimmy Carter.
According to Because of Them We Can, Young also served on Delta’s Board of Directors from 1994 to 2004 and is credited with growing the airline’s presence in the city during his time as mayor from 1982 to 1990.
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