Whitney M. Young Jr. was born in 1921 in Lincoln Ridge Kentucky and lived until 1971. Young is most notably remembered as a black American civil rights leader and administrator of social work, and was considered one of the most influential civil rights leaders in America during the 1960s. His career as a race relations expert began when Young served as a go-between for white officers and African-American enlisted men in a segregated U.S. Army company in Europe during World War II. Young obtained a Master of Arts degree in social work from the University of Minnesota, after which he worked for the Urban League and later became executive secretary at one of the organization's branches. He was named Dean of Atlanta university's School of Social Work when he was only 33, and later became executive director of the National Urban League. In this director position, Young secured training and jobs for African-Americans in disciplines that were usually closed to them. The employment program he established was named "Selective Placement," and it involved securing well-paid, white collar jobs for African-American professionals. Young was an advisor on race relations to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and he also served as president of the National Association of Social Workers from 1969 until his death. Overall, young is considered a pioneer in advocacy for the oppressed and community organization, and he also instigated the development of social work with union and management in industrial settings. All of his accomplishments have greatly influenced the way social work is practiced today.
The final pioneer of social work to be covered in this discussion is Sara a. Collins Fernandis. Fernandis was born in Port Deposit, Maryland in 1863 and lived until 1951. She was a contemporary of Jan Addams, and she is notably remembered for founding the first Black Social Settlement house in America in Washington, D.C. Her education included a Master of Social Work degree from New York University. Her career activities included public health activities and the organization of social welfare in segregated Black communities that existed at that time. Fernandis established the Women's Cooperative Civic League in Baltimore, and she...
She was also instrumental in the establishment of the Henryton State Hospital in 1923, which was a tuberculosis hospital specifically for African-Americans. Her ultimate goal was "establishing the public purpose," and she laid the foundation for the achievement of this vision, which is still being strived for today in the social work field.
The above discussed pioneers in social work all demonstrated monumental achievements that have had lasting influence in the practice and policy of the social work field. These pioneers represent several landmarks not only for the social work field, but also for political and African-American history. Their achievements brought opportunity and rights to groups of individuals who were denied such things in the past. The vision and dedication of these pioneers is inspiring, and will continue to impact practice in the field of social work into the future.
References
No Author Given (2001). Jane Addams biography. Women in History, retrieved 6/18/2007 from Lakewood Public Library, http://www.lkwdpl.org/wiohio/adda-jan.htm.
No Author Given (2004). Roger Cummings biography. National Association of Social Workers Foundation, retieved 6/18/2007 at http://www.naswfoundation.org/pioneers/c/cummings.htm.
No Author Given (2007). Whitney M. Young Jr. biography. National Association of Social Workers, retrieved 6/18/2007 at http://www.socialworkers.org/diversity/black_history/young.asp.
No Author Given (2006). Whitney Moore Young Jr. biography. Encyclopedia of World Biography, retrieved 6/18/2007 at http://www.bookrags.com/biography/whitney-moore-young-jr/.
No Author Given (2007). Sara a. Collins Fernandis biography. National Association of Social Workers Foundation, retrieved 6/18/2007 at http://www.socialworkersfoundation.org/pioneers/f/fernandis.htm.
Quesenbery, E. (2004). Sara a. Collins Fernandis: The first African-American female social worker in Maryland. Port Deposit: Biographical Sketches, retrieved 6/18/2007 at http://www.portdeposit.com/History/SarahACollinsFernandis.htm.
