▁seg reg ation " ▁by ▁providing ▁for ▁their ▁children ▁but ▁were ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁help ▁less ▁wealth y ▁black ▁communities ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁Young ▁attended ▁D ill ard ▁University ▁for ▁one ▁year ▁before ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Howard ▁University . ▁He ▁then ▁earned ▁a ▁div inity ▁degree ▁from ▁Hart ford ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁Hart ford , ▁Connecticut , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Al pha ▁Ph i ▁Al pha ▁frat ern ity . ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁ ▁Young ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁past or ▁of ▁a ▁church ▁in ▁Mar ion , ▁Alabama . ▁It ▁was ▁there ▁in ▁Mar ion ▁that ▁he ▁met ▁Jean ▁Child s , ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁his ▁wife . ▁Young ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁Mah at ma ▁Gand hi ' s ▁concept ▁of ▁non vi ol ent ▁resistance ▁as ▁a ▁t actic ▁for ▁social ▁change . ▁He ▁encourag ed ▁African ▁Americans ▁to ▁register ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁Alabama , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁faced ▁death ▁thre ats ▁while ▁doing ▁so . ▁It ▁was ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁that ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁friend ▁and ▁al ly ▁of ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁he ▁accepted ▁a ▁past or ate ▁at ▁Beth any ▁Cong reg ational ▁Church ▁in ▁Thomas ville , ▁Georgia . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁Young ▁and ▁Jean ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁when ▁he ▁accepted ▁a ▁job ▁with ▁the ▁Youth ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Council ▁of ▁Church es . ▁While ▁in ▁New ▁York ,