In honor of Jimmy Carter's centennial, Andrew Young reflects on a friendship built on service

As Jimmy Carter marks his 100th birthday, few people know him better than than former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young. The two have shared a decades-long friendship rooted in faith and a commitment to public service.

In an interview with GPB, Young, a civil rights leader, spoke fondly of the former president, describing Carter as a man whose leadership style often led to him getting personally involved in issues, no matter how big or small.

“It’s no accident that it’s lasting at least 100 years,” Young said about the effect the longest living president's life has had. "He had an agenda that he wanted to do before he passed on."

He shared stories from their first meeting — one that began with pause but ended in respect.

“I must confess I was prejudiced,” Young said, after learning Carter was friend of a sheriff who had jailed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists in Sumter County. But an unexpected gesture from Carter — taking the time to greet everyone in the kitchen of Pascal's Restaurant in Atlanta — left a lasting impression.

"[Carter] said, 'You can never forget the people who prepare our food.'"

Their relationship grew, and eventually Carter appointed Young as the first Black ambassador to the United Nations. Young recounted Carter’s directive to him, to visit Africa and meet as many leaders as he could.

"He wanted me to cause trouble," Young said with a laugh, recalling Carter’s dedication to cultivating relationships with African nations. "I knew [it] was a difficult assignment, but he wanted it difficult."

After being in hospice for the last year and a half, and after the death of his wife, first lady Rosalynn Carter, Young said he was surprised Carter was hanging on, but he believes he is determined to vote in this election. 

"I think he and God decided that he'd be able to stay here and vote for Kamala Harris," Young said. "He will stay here long enough to cast that ballot, it seems."

Looking back on Carter’s century of life, Young noted his legacy is more like a "ministry."

“I say ministry because I think that his life has been a blessing from God. And we are much better off because Jimmy Carter grew up amongst us,” Young said. 

Transcript

Pamela Kirkland: It's Morning Edition. I'm Pamela Kirkland. As we celebrate the remarkable milestone of President Jimmy Carter's 100th birthday, we're joined by someone who knows him well: former Ambassador Andrew Young, a champion of civil and human rights. Ambassador Young served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Carter administration, and we are honored to have him join us. Thank you so much for being here. 

Andrew Young: Well, it's my pleasure and privilege. 

Pamela Kirkland: I want to start at the beginning. Can you take us back to the first time the two of you met? What were your initial impressions of him? 

Andrew Young: The first time I remember meeting Jimmy Carter was when he was a candidate for governor. And I happened to be a candidate for Congress in the 5th Congressional District. And I heard about him. I must confess I was prejudiced because Sumter County was where the civil rights movement was put in jail in 1962. It was a hot day. And suddenly it went from in the 90s to in the 40s and 50s. And I went to Sumter County to try to get the sheriff to let us bring some blankets and coats into the jail — and Dr. [Martin Luther] King [Jr.] was in that jail with Reverend [Ralph D.] Abernathy. Sheriff Chappell's answer was, "They should have thought of that before they broke the law." And I said to Jimmy Carter when I met him at Pascal's Restaurant, "well, the only thing I know about Sumter County is Fred Chappell." He said, "yeah, he's a good friend of mine." Well, that was really not the answer, I thought. But I also saw him doing something I had not done before — that he went to talk to everybody in the restaurant seated in their booths and introduced himself and asked for their support. And then he went to the kitchen and he ignored me and went on into the kitchen. And he came back and he said, "You can never forget the people who prepare our food." And so I was both impressed and dismissed. But that was an interesting conversation. And I never went into a restaurant after that without going into the — into the kitchen and shaking hands and introducing myself to everybody. 

Pamela Kirkland: Tell me about when Carter asked you to join the administration as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. How did that conversation unfold? 

Andrew Young: I knew that it was a difficult assignment, but he wanted it difficult. He wanted me to cause trouble. When I was sworn in, there was a piece of paper on the lectern and he had written some notes down on it which said, "I want you to go to Africa as soon as possible, meet as many African leaders as you can, and ask them what they expect of our administration and how we might help them." Well, that was a strong assignment because I don't think we'd had anybody visiting Africa for a long time other than the ambassadors that were assigned there. And when I went back to the State Department, they — they discouraged it. They didn't want to be more involved in Africa. And when I told President Carter that, he said, "But remember, they didn't appoint you. I did. I want you to go to Africa." And I said, "but they said they didn't have any planes." He said, "We have plenty planes here at the White House. Let me know when you're ready." So he looked at Africa from the point of view of a kid in Plains, Ga. His first contact was having a car wash to supply books for a primary school in Nigeria. And so when I — we went to Africa together, I made sure that President Carter and President Obasanjo of Nigeria both took part in the service when President Carter read the Old Testament. He said, "I first heard of Nigeria when our high school class had a car wash to send books and Bibles." And when the president of Nigeria got up, he said, "Mr. President, I want to thank you for those books." He said, "I was a barefoot boy that grew up about 3 miles from there. And those books were the first books I read. And that's probably where I learned to read." And he and Jimmy Carter shook hands and prayed together about the time that they interacted as teenagers; not as presidents, but as Baptists. 

Pamela Kirkland: Just thinking about those degrees of separation, just being two boys worlds apart and to be brought back together as presidents. You know, I don't want to say you had the impossible task, because looking at your list of accomplishments, you've — you've done so much. You have such a legacy. But why do you think you ended up with these assignments from President Carter? 

Andrew Young: He knew me as a friend because we started relating to each other before either of us were elected. It was just — it was one of God's plans that worked. And it's no accident that it's lasting at least 100 years. He had an agenda that he wanted to do before he passed on. And I think when President Biden stepped down, I think he and God decided that he'd be able to stay here and vote for Kamala Harris. Because I thought that after Rosalynn went, he would be not far behind. And he won't be far behind, but he will stay here long enough to cast that ballot, it seems, because he'll be able to send in his absentee ballot any day now. 

Pamela Kirkland: Well, Ambassador Young, thank you so much for speaking with me. 

Andrew Young: Well, thank you for covering the life — and I say ministry, because I think that his life has been a blessing from God. And we are much better off because Jimmy Carter grew up amongst us.