Independent Lens: Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights

Whitney M. Young Jr. was one of the most celebrated—and controversial—leaders of the civil rights era. This documentary follows his journey from segregated Kentucky to head of the National Urban League. Unique among black leaders, he took the fight directly to the powerful white elite, gaining allies in business and government, including three presidents. Young had to calm the fears of white allies, relieve the doubts of fellow civil rights leaders and respond to attacks from the militant Black Power movement.