A Celebration of an Atlanta Sustainability Champion
Southface is proud to celebrate Andrew Young, former Atlanta Mayor and UN Ambassador, at the 2025 Visionary Awards with this year’s Argon Award of Excellence in Sustainability. We are honored to have Ambassador Young in attendance to accept this award from Southface. The Argon Award, presented annually in recognition of excellence in advancing sustainability for all, is Southface’s highest honor. It is named for argon, the non-toxic, non-reactive, clear, and odorless gas that fills the space between the glass panes in high-performance windows. Throughout his career, Ambassador Young has fully embodied the excellence that this award represents, with his impact in Atlanta and far beyond.
Before starting his international impact, Ambassador Young worked as the executive director of SCLC, the Southern Christian Leadership Council, and as a key strategist and negotiator during Civil Rights campaigns, leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Later, Young was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as Ambassador to the United Nations in 1977, emphasizing human rights in international diplomatic efforts, and elected as a two-term Mayor of Atlanta in 1982, bringing business and foreign investment to the city. While serving as Ambassador, Young negotiated an end to white-minority rule in Namibia and Zimbabwe, championing decolonization and forging crucial relationships.
Ambassador Young’s Legacy
In 2003, he founded the Andrew J. Young Foundation with his wife, Carolyn McClain Young, to support and promote education, health, leadership, and human rights in the U.S., Africa, and the Caribbean. Now serving as the Chairman of the foundation, the Ambassador supports issues important to Southface, including public health, leadership, and human rights. Through his partnership with Forever Young Aquaponics, he promotes cutting-edge, sustainable farming. Click here for more information about Ambassador Young and the foundation’s work. Celebrating Young’s past work as U.N. Ambassador and Mayor of Atlanta, and his future work with Forever Young Aquaponics, has made the 2025 Visionary Awards truly special.