Featuring keynote speaker\, civil rights activist Andrew Young. The Annual Scholarship Breakfast commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King\, Jr. and his ideals for peace and unity. Sponsored by the Office of Inclusion and Diversity\, the Office of University Outreach and the East Alabama Chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA). Now in its 24th year\, the breakfast consists of scholarship presentations\, awards and other recognitions. Such an expression of unity is appropriate\, as NFBPA aims to be an example of community involvement\, cross-cultural unity\, and service towards others.
Young was elected to Congress in 1972 to represent Georgia\'s 5th district\, becoming the first African American elected from the South since Reconstruction. He was re-elected in 1974 and 1976. In 1977\, Young became the first African American to be appointed United States ambassador to the United Nations. Appointed by President Jimmy Carter\, Young held the position until August 1979. Two years later\, Young sought election as the mayor of Atlanta. He won and was re-elected in 1985. During his tenure as mayor\, Young brought jobs and $70 billion in private investments to the city. He was also instrumental in bringing the Centennial Olympic Games to Atlanta in 1996.
He has since established the Andrew J. Young Foundation\, which embodies Young\'s philosophy of creative nonviolence and establishes a model and legacy of effective servant leadership for current and future leaders in Atlanta\, America and the world.
He\'s been the recipient of numerous awards\, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom\, the NAACP\'s Springarn Medal\, the Olympic Order and France\'s Legion d\'honneur\, the nation\'s greatest honor\, as well as more than 100 honorary degrees. Young was recognized in 2011 for his contributions to American life and history with a Lifetime Emmy Award and the placement of his portrait on permanent exhibit of the Smithsonian\'s National Portrait Gallery.
