Whitney M. Young Birthplace

On the campus of what was once the Lincoln Institute, an all-black high school, there is a simple wooden house. There, in 1921, one of America’s greatest Civil Rights leaders was born.

Whitney M. Young, Jr. spent his life and career working to end employment discrimination. He would become leader of the National Urban League and transform the organization into one of the foremost catalysts for socioeconomic equality. His campaign for equality for the disenfranchised earned him the admiration of some of the most powerful leaders in the country, including Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, all of whom he served as an advisor.

Today, you can spend time exploring Young’s legacy at the house where he was born. After his death in 1971, the house was dedicated to his memory and contains photographs, articles and other memorabilia. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1984.

You can learn more about this pioneer’s contributions to the U.S. Civil Rights movement inside the two-story home where he was born. Located on the campus of Whitney M. Young, Jr. Job Corps Center near Simpsonville, it is also designated a National Historic Landmark.