The Christian Curriculum Teaching Civil Rights to a New Generation

When civil rights icon Andrew Young was growing up on a diverse square in New Orleans, just 50 feet away from the Nazi Party headquarters, self-defense was a must.

But so was knowing when a physical fight wasn't likely to lead to a good outcome. His father, a dentist, taught him how to duck and weave. He also gave Young another tip that would help in times of trouble: "Don't get mad. Get smart."

Staying cool under pressure would come in handy many times over for Young, a close confidant of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. who later served as an ambassador under Jimmy Carter when he was president.