Coleman Young

Coleman Young
Young in 1975
66th Mayor of Detroit
In office
January 1, 1974 – January 3, 1994
Preceded byRoman Gribbs
Succeeded byDennis Archer
40th President of the United States Conference of Mayors
In office
1982–1983
Preceded byHelen Boosalis
Succeeded byRichard Fulton
Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 4th district
In office
January 1, 1965 – 1973
Preceded byCharles S. Blondy
Succeeded byDavid S. Holmes, Jr.
Personal details
Born
Coleman Alexander Young

(1918-05-24)May 24, 1918
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
Died November 29, 1997(1997-11-29) (aged 79)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Resting placeElmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Marion McClellan
(m. 1947; div. 1954)
Nadine Baxter
(m. 1955; div. 1960)
ChildrenColeman Young II
ProfessionPolitician
Military service
Branch/service
RankSecond Lieutenant
Unit477th Bombardment Group
Battles/warsWorld War II
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Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) was an American politician who served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 1974 to 1994. Young was the first African-American mayor of Detroit.

Young had emerged from the far-left element in Detroit, and moderated somewhat after his election as mayor. He called an ideological truce and gained widespread support from the city's business leaders.[1][2] The new mayor was energetic in the construction of the Joe Louis Arena, and upgrading the city's mass transit system. He assisted General Motors in building its new "Poletown" plant at the site of the former Dodge Main plant in Hamtramck. Some opponents said that he pulled money out of the neighborhoods to rehabilitate the downtown business district, but he said "there were no other options."[3]

In 1981, Young received the Spingarn Medal for achievement from the NAACP.[4]

  1. ^ Rich, Wilbur C. (1999). Coleman Young and Detroit Politics. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814320945. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  2. ^ Rich 1999, p. 139.
  3. ^ Rich 1999, pp. 185–186, 202.
  4. ^ "Spingarn Medal Winners: 1915 to Today". NAACP. Archived from the original on August 2, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014.

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