The peace center would host the famed former mayor’s personal collection of papers, awards, and more.
The foundation pitched the development idea to break ground in Vine City, a historic area surrounding the west side of the city. According to Axios, the global peace institute would reside amid Atlanta’s storied HBCU campuses and sports stadiums.
Young, a former U.N. ambassador who turned 94 in March, was an early pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement. Before his appointment as the mayor of Atlanta in 1982, he became the first Black man elected to Congress from Georgia since the Reconstruction era. Throughout his political career, he remained a lauded public figure for his upliftment of Atlanta and marginalized communities.
Young’s personal collection of papers, awards, and art would also be on display throughout the space. The peace center would also include a domed rotunda, overlooking the historically Black neighborhood that housed legendary Atlanta natives such as Martin Luther King Jr.
As the foundation continues to secure financial backing, supporters have emphasized the peace center’s mission to amplify Atlanta’s history as a place of justice and equity.
“We want to make sure that the message of inclusion, of brotherly love, friendship, all that the movement represents, continues to be reflected in that particular location,” council member Michael Julian Bond told Axios.
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Source: Black Enterprise
