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After taking an African American Studies class , he said , he shifted course away from the finance degree he ’ d begun two years earlier to pursue study in the field and his eventual work with the Urban League .
University President Fred P . Pestello , Ph . D ., noted the impact of a speech King gave on the SLU community and its continuing commitment to justice , racial equity and the St . Louis community . “ SLU will join you , our community partners , in breathing life into dreams ,” Pestello said . “ We are reminded that we must not give up , and we must not give in to extreme pessimism . We are not alone in this endeavor . Nor was Dr . King .”
Civil Rights activist Xernona Clayton , in turn , complimented Pestello ’ s leadership , as did McMillan and other speakers . Young turned talk of inspiration into reality before beginning his speech . As the ambassador took to the podium , he invited students from St . Louis ’ s Marian Middle School to join him onstage . Noting that he had received many awards in his life , he told the students and crowd that he ’ d formed a new habit - to give the accolades he earned to students and schools . He presented his statuette and its accompanying city proclamation and other honors to the two girls . The award , he said , would serve as a reminder of Dr . King ’ s work and of the work yet to do .
2018 Honorees
- Marc Haydel Morial , current president of the National Urban League and former mayor of New Orleans , received the Lifetime Achievement Award .
- Xernona Clayton , who became involved with King ’ s work during her work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and National Urban League during the height of the Civil Rights Movement , was honored with the Civil Rights Legend Award .
-Malik Ahmed , founder and chief executive officer of Better Family Life , Inc ., of St . Louis , and Tom J . Irwin , executive director of Civic Progress , received the Civic Leadership Award .
-Judge Glenda Hatchett , the first African American chief presiding judge and presiding judge of the Fulton County ( Georgia ) Juvenile Court , was given the Legal Legend Award .
-Al Mitchell , president of the Monsanto Fund and vice president for community relations at Monsanto , received the Corporate Leadership Award .
-Thomas J . Irwin , Executive Director of Civic Progress , a group of the 30 largest employers in the St . Louis region , which formed more than 50 years ago to deal with issues of civic importance . Irwin has more than 25 years of diverse public policy and public administration experience .
-SLU ’ s Kira Hudson Banks , Ph . D ., professor of psychology , was honored with the Donald Brennan Humanitarian Award .
-Ambassador Andrew Young , an activist , minister , author , former member of Congress , and former U . S . ambassador to the United Nations , received the Civil Rights Legend Award .
Jonathan Smith , Ph . D ., SLU vice president for diversity and community engagement , welcomed the assembled while SLU alumnus McMillan , president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St . Louis , acted as the tribute ’ s emcee . Smith closed the official program before a final prayer from Justin Daffron , S . J ., SLU ’ s assistant to the president for growth strategies , saying , “ My heart is full of joy and happiness . This is a room full of connections across every area of our region where we need to work for change .”
Ambassador Andrew Young ( right ) has made a habit of presenting awards he receives to students to inspire them . On Friday , Jan . 12 , he gave the Civil Rights Legend Award that he received at the MLK Tribute , co-hosted by Saint Louis University and the Urban League of Metropolitan St . Louis , to students from St . Louis ’ s Marian Middle School .