St. Augustine Record Editorial: Our view: Welcome and thanks, Ambassador Young

Our view: Welcome and thanks, Ambassador Young
Created 06/10/2011 - 8:14pm
Summary:


This day forward, St. Augustine's civil rights history is alive and very much well in St. Augustine, as it should be.

And today, Ambassador Andrew Young will be publicly recognized for his efforts in helping get the federal Civil Rights Act passed in 1964.

At 10 a.m., the Andrew Young Memorial will be dedicated in the city's Plaza de la Constitucion. It's a fitting tribute to Young and the civil rights movement, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., here in the 1960s. The monument is a 25-foot linear sidewalk that includes actual footprints of Young making his way to the gazebo in the center of the plaza. As you walk along the sidewalk, inspirational sayings from Young, King and President Lyndon B. Johnson are embedded in granite.

Over the years, the survivors of the civil rights movement -- the heroes and the sheroes -- have celebrated their heritage in the community with markers on key homes and businesses where leaders of the fight for equality lived and worked more than 50 years ago; with special speakers and ceremonies in various churches throughout St. Johns County; and a field day for families.

An annual luncheon on the federal holiday in January honoring King has filled the dining hall to capacity wherever the event is held. Northrop Grumman's sponsorship of 30 markers on the 40th ACCORD's Freedom Trail plus another by Beth Levenbach, an ACCORD member, showed the community at large that the quest for civil rights took a huge toll on those who fought for their freedoms.

The St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Remembrance monument was unveiled on May 14 in the plaza. It is located near the old Town Market, also known as the Slave Market. Controversy still rages over whether slaves were sold there. Barbara Vickers and her committee raised more than $70,000 in donations for the project to honor the community civil rights activists.

Again, we say thanks to the Foot Soldiers committee.

The St. Augustine City Commission and city staff get full credit for bringing the Andrew Young Memorial to life and the Andrew Young Crossing at the intersection of King and St. George streets next to the plaza. It was where Young was beaten up as he approached the plaza by an angry white mob on June 9, 1964. It's far past time that the city's civil rights history has a firm anchor for all to see.

We thank the city for its efforts and Halback Design Group for donating the design. We will always remember Ambassador Young's willingness to step forward and put his life on the line for the rights of others, including many St. Augustine and St. Johns County residents.