New film tells story of unsung civil rights leader
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press
Feb 23, 2013 2:38 AM CST
This image provided by the LBJ Presidential Library shows Whitney Young during a meeting with President Lyndon Johnson in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Jan. 18, 1964. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., tells the story of Young’s boldness in dealing with civil rights issues in “The Powerbroker:...   (Associated Press)

A new PBS documentary is shining a light on a civil rights leader some say has been overshadowed by such icons as Martin Luther King Jr.

Airing on public television during Black History Month, "The Powerbroker: Whitney Young's Fight for Civil Rights" explores the life and legacy of Whitney M. Young Jr.

Those who knew Young or studied his career say his ability to penetrate white-dominated corporate boardrooms and the Oval Office over three administrations was critical to the civil rights movement.

By working within the system, Young drew criticism from those who wanted a more aggressive path to racial equality.

One of Young's biographers, Vanderbilt University history professor Dennis Dickerson, says Young's role in the civil rights movement should not be diminished.

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