▁Development ▁Committee . ▁Young ▁opposed ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War , ▁helped ▁en act ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁established ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Institute ▁for ▁Peace , ▁established ▁the ▁Ch att ahoo che e ▁River ▁National ▁Rec re ation ▁Area ▁and ▁negoti ated ▁federal ▁funds ▁for ▁MAR TA ▁and ▁the ▁Atlanta ▁High ways . ▁ ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁President ▁Jimmy ▁Carter ▁appointed ▁Young ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Nations . ▁Young ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁to ▁hold ▁the ▁position . ▁Atlanta ▁city ▁council man ▁Wy che ▁F ow ler ▁won ▁the ▁special ▁election ▁to ▁fill ▁Young ' s ▁seat ▁in ▁Congress . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁the ▁UN ▁en act ed ▁an ▁arms ▁embargo ▁against ▁South ▁Africa , ▁as ▁President ▁Carter ' s ▁UN ▁amb assador , ▁Young ▁v eto ed ▁economic ▁san ctions . ▁ ▁Young ▁caused ▁controvers y ▁when , ▁during ▁a ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁interview ▁with ▁French ▁newspaper ▁Le ▁Mat in ▁de ▁Paris ▁while ▁discuss ing ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁its ▁treatment ▁of ▁political ▁diss idents , ▁he ▁said , ▁" We ▁still ▁have ▁hundreds ▁of ▁people ▁that ▁I ▁would ▁categor ize ▁as ▁political ▁prisoners ▁in ▁our ▁pr isons ," ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁ja iled ▁civil - right s ▁and ▁anti - war ▁protest ors . ▁In ▁response , ▁US ▁Represent ative ▁Larry ▁Mc Donald ▁( D - GA ) ▁spons ored ▁a ▁resolution ▁to ▁im pe ach ▁Young