Coleman Young
Encyclopedia
Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) served as mayor
of Detroit
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson
became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.
to Coleman Young, a dry cleaner, and Ida Reese Jones. His family moved to Detroit in 1923, where he graduated from Eastern High School in 1935. He worked for Ford Motor Company
, which soon blacklist
ed him for involvement in labor and civil rights
activism. He later worked for the United States Postal Service
, where with his brother George started the Postal Workers union. George later went on to become Postmaster for this same facility, which handles over ten million pieces of mail each year. During the second World War
, Young served in the 477th Medium-Bomber Group
(Tuskegee Airmen) of the United States Army Air Forces
as a bombardier
and navigator. As a lieutenant in the 477th, he played a role in the Freeman Field Mutiny
in which 162 African-American officers were arrested for resisting segregation at a base near Seymour, Indiana
in 1945.
Young's involvement in progressive
and radical organizations including the Communist Party, the Progressive Party
, the AFL-CIO
, and the National Negro Labor Council
made him powerful enemies, including the FBI
and HUAC
, where he refused to testify. He protested segregation
in the Army and racial discrimination
in the UAW
. In 1948 Young supported Progressive Party presidential
candidate Henry A. Wallace
, which he later viewed as a major mistake.
In 1960, he was elected as a delegate to help draft a new state constitution
for Michigan. In 1964 he won election to the Michigan State Senate, where his most significant legislation was a law requiring arbitration
in disputes between public-sector unions and municipalities.
Sheriff) to become Detroit's first black mayor. Young promptly disbanded the STRESS unit, integrated the police department and increased patrols in high crime neighborhoods utilizing a community policing approach. Young's effect on integrating the Detroit Police Department
was successful with the percentage of black police officers rising from 19% in the early 1970s to 63% by 2000. Young, however, was not able to cure all issues related to crime and police, and the Detroit Police Department was viewed by some as having a pattern of an alleged reckless use of deadly force.
Young won re-election by wide margins in November 1977, November 1981, November 1985 and November 1989, for a total of 20 years as mayor. Economic and social problems continued in Detroit and Young was seen as part of the problem or part of the solution, depending on the observer.
Young's administration was controversial, and he found himself the subject of continued FBI scrutiny amid allegations of contract kickback
s. He was criticized for his confrontational style toward whites and suburb
an interests, and the apparent diversion of city resources to downtown Detroit from other neighborhoods. Young was generally popular with African-American inhabitants of the city, while generally disliked by white Detroiters and suburban-dwellers because of his outspoken criticism of racism and white flight to the suburbs, and his perceived favoritism of African-American interests.
Young was an outspoken advocate for federal funding for Detroit construction projects, and his administration saw the completion of the Renaissance Center
, Detroit People Mover
, Joe Louis Arena
, and several other Detroit landmarks. He also negotiated with General Motors to build its new "Poletown" plant at the site of the former Dodge Main
plant. This was very controversial, as the new plant was larger than the old one and the deal involved many evictions via eminent domain
. During Young's last two administrations there was increasing opposition among some neighborhood activists to these large construction projects. This opposition typically manifested itself in rigorous budget debate rather than in serious electoral challenges against Young. During this period City Council President Maryann Mahaffey
became an outspoken advocate for neighborhood development with the involvement and leadership of community based organizations. Most of the time Young prevailed over this opposition, seeking jobs and economic stimulus as a way to help rebuild Detroit's neighborhoods.
His son, Coleman A. Young II, is currently a State Senator in Michigan's 1st State Senate district and was previously a State Representative in Michigan's 4th State Representative district; the same district where Young lived as Mayor and served as State Senator. Though Young had publicly denied the child as being his, he later admitted the paternity
, after DNA tests linked the boy to the mayor following a paternity lawsuit filed by Calvert.
A known heavy smoker, Young died from emphysema
in 1997. Upon learning of Young's death former President Jimmy Carter
called Young "one of the greatest mayors our country has known."
However, given close continuing FBI scrutiny extending from his days as a radical left activist, other observers believe that Young had to be clean because any wrongdoing on his part would have been readily discovered and disclosed by the FBI; the convictions of Weiner plus others were in part based on evidence from wiretaps on Young's home telephone.
(east side), Nasty Flynns (later the NF Bangers) and Black Killers and the drug consortiums of the 1980s such as Young Boys Inc.
, Pony Down, Best Friends, Black Mafia Family
and the Chambers Brothers
.
Several times during Young's tenure Detroit was named the arson capital of America, and repeatedly the murder capital of America. Often Detroit was listed by FBI crime statistics as "most dangerous city in America" during his administration.
Crime rates in Detroit peaked in 1994 at more than 2,700 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
However, crime has continued to be a problem in Detroit long after Mayor Young left office; according to national statistics the arson rate in Detroit was 6.3x the national average in 2003 and the murder rate was 5.1x the national average.
Economic conditions in Detroit generally trended sideways or downward over the sum of Mayor Young's political tenure, with the unemployment rate trending from approximately 9% in 1971 to approximately 11% in 1993, when Mayor Young retired. However, most economic metrics (unemployment, median income rates, and city gross domestic product) initially dropped sharply during economic recessions, reaching their "low points" in the late 80's and/or early 90's, with the unemployment rate in particular peaking at approximately 20% in 1982.
arson that had come to plague the city each year. These patrols have been continued by succeeding administrations and have mobilized as many as 30,000 citizens in a single year in an effort to forestall seasonal arson.
:
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson
Maynard Jackson
Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. was an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and the first African American mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. He served three terms, two consecutive terms from 1974 until 1982 and a third term from 1990 to 1994...
became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.
Pre-Mayoral career
Young was born in Tuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
to Coleman Young, a dry cleaner, and Ida Reese Jones. His family moved to Detroit in 1923, where he graduated from Eastern High School in 1935. He worked for Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, which soon blacklist
Blacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
ed him for involvement in labor and civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activism. He later worked for the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
, where with his brother George started the Postal Workers union. George later went on to become Postmaster for this same facility, which handles over ten million pieces of mail each year. During the second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Young served in the 477th Medium-Bomber Group
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
(Tuskegee Airmen) of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
as a bombardier
Bombardier (air force)
A bombardier , in the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force, or a bomb aimer, in the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth air forces, was the crewman of a bomber responsible for assisting the navigator in guiding the plane to a bombing target and releasing the aircraft's bomb...
and navigator. As a lieutenant in the 477th, he played a role in the Freeman Field Mutiny
Freeman Field Mutiny
The Freeman Field Mutiny was a series of incidents at Freeman Army Airfield, a United States Army Air Forces base near Seymour, Indiana, in 1945 in which African American members of the 477th Bombardment Group attempted to integrate an all-white officers' club. The mutiny resulted in 162 separate...
in which 162 African-American officers were arrested for resisting segregation at a base near Seymour, Indiana
Seymour, Indiana
Seymour was the site of the World's First Train Robbery, committed by the local Reno Gang, on October 6, 1866 just east of town. The gang was put into prison for the robbery, and later hanged at Hangman's Crossing outside of town....
in 1945.
Young's involvement in progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
and radical organizations including the Communist Party, the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1948)
The United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a left-wing political party that ran former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president and U.S. Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for vice president in 1948.-Foundation:...
, the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
, and the National Negro Labor Council
National Negro Labor Council
The National Negro Labor Council was a labor union dedicated to serving the needs and civil rights of black workers.In 1951, black workers formed the National Negro Labor Council , which was brought about to serving the needs and civil rights of black workers...
made him powerful enemies, including the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and HUAC
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
, where he refused to testify. He protested segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
in the Army and racial discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
in the UAW
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
. In 1948 Young supported Progressive Party presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
candidate Henry A. Wallace
Henry A. Wallace
Henry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...
, which he later viewed as a major mistake.
In 1960, he was elected as a delegate to help draft a new state constitution
Michigan Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Michigan is the governing document of the U.S. state of Michigan. It describes the structure and function of the state's government....
for Michigan. In 1964 he won election to the Michigan State Senate, where his most significant legislation was a law requiring arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
in disputes between public-sector unions and municipalities.
Five terms as Mayor
Young's 1973 Mayoral campaign addressed the role of the violence inflicted upon a predominantly black city by a disproportionately white police department. Young pledged the elimination of one particularly troubled police unit, STRESS (Stop the Robberies and Enjoy Safe Streets.) This one police unit had been connected to the death of eight black people in its first four months of operation and 18 people in its first 14 months. The unit's operations were suspended in 1972 by order of the mayor. In November 1973, Young narrowly defeated former Police Commissioner John F. Nichols (whom the previous mayor had to dismiss as Police Commissioner when Nichols refused to resign while campaigning for mayor. Nichols would later be elected as Oakland CountyOakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
Sheriff) to become Detroit's first black mayor. Young promptly disbanded the STRESS unit, integrated the police department and increased patrols in high crime neighborhoods utilizing a community policing approach. Young's effect on integrating the Detroit Police Department
Detroit Police Department
The Detroit Police Department , established in 1865, is responsible for the city of Detroit, Michigan.-History:The Detroit Police Department was established in 1865 to serve the city's growing population and covers the city with 5 districts and two precincts. The Detroit Police Department was also...
was successful with the percentage of black police officers rising from 19% in the early 1970s to 63% by 2000. Young, however, was not able to cure all issues related to crime and police, and the Detroit Police Department was viewed by some as having a pattern of an alleged reckless use of deadly force.
Young won re-election by wide margins in November 1977, November 1981, November 1985 and November 1989, for a total of 20 years as mayor. Economic and social problems continued in Detroit and Young was seen as part of the problem or part of the solution, depending on the observer.
Young's administration was controversial, and he found himself the subject of continued FBI scrutiny amid allegations of contract kickback
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
s. He was criticized for his confrontational style toward whites and suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an interests, and the apparent diversion of city resources to downtown Detroit from other neighborhoods. Young was generally popular with African-American inhabitants of the city, while generally disliked by white Detroiters and suburban-dwellers because of his outspoken criticism of racism and white flight to the suburbs, and his perceived favoritism of African-American interests.
Young was an outspoken advocate for federal funding for Detroit construction projects, and his administration saw the completion of the Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
, Detroit People Mover
Detroit People Mover
The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....
, Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
, and several other Detroit landmarks. He also negotiated with General Motors to build its new "Poletown" plant at the site of the former Dodge Main
Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly
Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly is a General Motors automobile factory straddling the border between Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. It is located about three miles from corporate headquarters and has been used for production of Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac products.-History:The site...
plant. This was very controversial, as the new plant was larger than the old one and the deal involved many evictions via eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
. During Young's last two administrations there was increasing opposition among some neighborhood activists to these large construction projects. This opposition typically manifested itself in rigorous budget debate rather than in serious electoral challenges against Young. During this period City Council President Maryann Mahaffey
Maryann Mahaffey
Maryann Mahaffey was born in Burlington, Iowa. She served on the Detroit City Council from 1973 until 2005, from 1990 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2005 as council president. She died on July 27, 2006 from leukaemia, aged 81....
became an outspoken advocate for neighborhood development with the involvement and leadership of community based organizations. Most of the time Young prevailed over this opposition, seeking jobs and economic stimulus as a way to help rebuild Detroit's neighborhoods.
Personal life
Young fathered a child, whose mother, Annivory Calvert, gave him the alias Joel Loving at birth, for security reasons. Young set up a private Roman Catholic Baptismal Ceremony when his son was 2 months old and gave the child his name on sequestered Roman Catholic Baptismal records. Young went to court when his son was age 13 and had his birth certificate changed to match the baptismal record.His son, Coleman A. Young II, is currently a State Senator in Michigan's 1st State Senate district and was previously a State Representative in Michigan's 4th State Representative district; the same district where Young lived as Mayor and served as State Senator. Though Young had publicly denied the child as being his, he later admitted the paternity
Paternity (law)
In law, paternity is the legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child usually based on several factors.At common law, a child born to the wife during a marriage is the husband's child under the "presumption of legitimacy", and the husband is assigned complete rights,...
, after DNA tests linked the boy to the mayor following a paternity lawsuit filed by Calvert.
A known heavy smoker, Young died from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
in 1997. Upon learning of Young's death former President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
called Young "one of the greatest mayors our country has known."
Corruption
Mayor Young's hand-picked Police Chief, close friend and political advisor William L. Hart, served for 15 years as Chief before being indicted and convicted for stealing $2.6 million from police undercover funds. The Deputy Chief of Police (Kenneth Weiner), also a close associate of Coleman Young, was charged and convicted in a separate case involving investment fraud. The culmination of the many investigations, indictments and convictions of those around Young led many observers to believe he was at the center of widespread corruption in the city government, which included school boards, sanitation, and many other departments, but especially the police department. Detroit has been unable to lose its reputation as one of the most corrupt cities in America; that perception is frequently attributed to the period coinciding with Young's long tenure as mayor.However, given close continuing FBI scrutiny extending from his days as a radical left activist, other observers believe that Young had to be clean because any wrongdoing on his part would have been readily discovered and disclosed by the FBI; the convictions of Weiner plus others were in part based on evidence from wiretaps on Young's home telephone.
Crime
Young had also been blamed by some for failing to stem the crime epidemic that Detroit became notorious for in the 1970s and 1980s. Dozens of violent black street gangs gained control of the city's large drug trade, which began with the heroin epidemic of the 1970s and grew into the even larger crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s. Major criminal gangs that were founded in Detroit and dominated the drug trade included The Errol FlynnsErrol Flynns
The Errol Flynns were a criminal organization, or street gang, founded on the east side of Detroit, Michigan during the 1970s. Reportedly the gang appropriated their name from the Hollywood film star Errol Flynn because they fashioned themselves as flamboyant gangsters in dress and ‘jitting’, or...
(east side), Nasty Flynns (later the NF Bangers) and Black Killers and the drug consortiums of the 1980s such as Young Boys Inc.
Young Boys Inc.
Young Boys Incorporated, also known as Y.B.I. was among the first African-American drug cartels that operated on street corners.They controlled 80% of the heroin traffic in Detroit, Michigan from the summer of 1978 through 1982....
, Pony Down, Best Friends, Black Mafia Family
Black Mafia Family
The Black Mafia Family , was a drug--trafficking organization originally based in Detroit, Michigan. Founded by the Flenory Brothers , the organization began in the late 1980s. By the year 2000, they had established multi-kilogram cocaine distribution cells in cities throughout the United States...
and the Chambers Brothers
Chambers Brothers (gang)
The Chambers Brothers were a criminal organization heavily involved in the distribution of crack cocaine in the city of Detroit, Michigan during the 1980s...
.
Several times during Young's tenure Detroit was named the arson capital of America, and repeatedly the murder capital of America. Often Detroit was listed by FBI crime statistics as "most dangerous city in America" during his administration.
Crime rates in Detroit peaked in 1994 at more than 2,700 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
However, crime has continued to be a problem in Detroit long after Mayor Young left office; according to national statistics the arson rate in Detroit was 6.3x the national average in 2003 and the murder rate was 5.1x the national average.
Economic Conditions
Coleman's administration coincided with some periods of broad social and economic challenges in the U.S. including recession, the oil-shock, decline of the U.S. automotive industry and loss of manufacturing sector jobs in the Midwest to other parts of the U.S. and the world. Detroit faced a continuing white flight to the suburbs that began in the 1950s and accelerated after the 1967 Detroit race riots and ongoing crime and drug problems in the inner city. It was common for Young's opponents to blame him for these developments, but Young's defenders responded that other factors such as white resistance to court ordered desegregation, deteriorating housing stock, aging industrial plants and a declining automotive industry leading to a loss of economic opportunities inside the city all contributed to the phenomenon. By the end of Young's term in office Detroit had a population of just under 1,000,000, down from a measured high of 1,849,568 in 1950.Economic conditions in Detroit generally trended sideways or downward over the sum of Mayor Young's political tenure, with the unemployment rate trending from approximately 9% in 1971 to approximately 11% in 1993, when Mayor Young retired. However, most economic metrics (unemployment, median income rates, and city gross domestic product) initially dropped sharply during economic recessions, reaching their "low points" in the late 80's and/or early 90's, with the unemployment rate in particular peaking at approximately 20% in 1982.
Police Department
Young himself expressed his belief that reform of the Police Department stood as one of his greatest accomplishments. He implemented broad affirmative action programs that lead to racial integration, and created a network of Neighborhood City Halls and Police Mini Stations. Young used the relationship established by community policing to mobilize large civilian patrols to address the incidents of Devil's NightDevil's Night
Devil's Night or Hell Night ' is a name associated with October 30th, the night before Halloween. It is related to the "Mischief night" practiced in other parts of the United States and the world, but is chiefly associated with the serious vandalism and arson seen in Detroit, Michigan from the...
arson that had come to plague the city each year. These patrols have been continued by succeeding administrations and have mobilized as many as 30,000 citizens in a single year in an effort to forestall seasonal arson.
Quotes
Coleman Young was known for his blunt statements, frequently using profanityProfanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
:
- "I'm smiling all the time. That doesn't mean a God damned thing except I think people who go around solemn-faced and quoting the Bible
BibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
are full of shit."
- "Swearing is an art form. You can express yourself much more exactly, much more succinctly, with properly used curse words."
- Coleman Young to Detroit journalists via closed-circuit television from Hawaii
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
: "Aloha, Mother Fuckers!"
- "Racism is like high blood pressure—the person who has it doesn’t know he has it until he drops over with a God damned stroke. There are no symptoms of racism. The victim of racism is in a much better position to tell you whether or not you’re a racist than you are."
- "I issue a warning to all those pushers, to all rip-off artists, to all muggers: It’s time to leave Detroit; hit Eight Mile Road! And I don’t give a damn if they are black or white, or if they wear Superfly
SuperflyThe term Superfly or Super fly may refer to:*Super Fly , a landmark 1972 blaxploitation film**Super Fly , a Curtis Mayfield soundtrack to the film**"Superfly" , the album's title track...
suits or blue uniforms with silver badges. Hit the road."
- "You can't look forward and backward at the same time."
- "We need to dream big dreams, propose grandiose means if we are to recapture the excitement, the vibrancy, and pride we once had."
- "We don't need no Goddamn Greenpeace
GreenpeaceGreenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
!" (In response to activists suspended from the smoke stacks of a new incinerator that was about to be put into operation.)
- "There is no brilliant single stroke that is going to transform the water into wine or straw into gold."
- "I've learned over a period of years there are setbacks when you come up against the immovable object; sometimes the object doesn't move."
- "Boogien Mansion" (Repeated reference to city of Detroit's official mayoral residence the Manoogian Mansion)
- "I don't know nothing about no God Damned Krugerrands."
Death and legacy
- Young is interred at Elmwood CemeteryElmwood Cemetery (Detroit, Michigan)Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit is one of Michigan's most important historic cemeteries. Located at 1200 Elmwood Street in Detroit's Eastside Historic Cemetery District, Elmwood is the oldest continuously operating, non-denominational cemetery in Michigan...
in Detroit. - The city hall for the City of Detroit was renamed the "Coleman A. Young Municipal Building."
- He has a wing named after him at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American HistoryCharles H. Wright Museum of African American HistoryThe Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is located in the Cultural Center of the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1965, it holds the world's largest permanent exhibit on African American culture. In 1997, it moved into a 120,000 square foot facility on Warren Avenue...
- Detroit City Airport, a general aviation facility serving Detroit, has since been renamed Coleman A. Young International AirportColeman A. Young International AirportColeman A. Young International Airport , also known as Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport, is a public use airport located five nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Detroit, in Wayne County, Michigan, United States...
.
Further reading
- "Hard Stuff", Coleman Young autobiography; published by Viking Adult (February 24, 1994) ISBN 978-0670845514
- "The Quotations of Mayor Coleman A. Young", compiled by McGraw, Bill et al., and originally published in 1991 is still in print. Today it is published by Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814332603
- "Coleman Young and Detroit Politics: From Social Activist to Power Broker" (African American Life Series) by Wilbur C. Rich, Wayne State University Press, February, 1989, ISBN 978-0814320938
- "Made in Detroit", by Paul Clemens, Anchor, (2006), memoir of growing up in Detroit during Mayor Young era. ISBN 978-1400075966
- "The Origins of the Urban CrisisThe Origins of the Urban CrisisThe Origins of the urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit, is the first book by historian and Detroit native Thomas J. Sugrue in which he examines the role race, housing and job discrimination played in the decline of Detroit. Sugrue argues that the decline of Detroit began long...
: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit" (Princeton Studies in American Politics) by Thomas J. Sugrue, Princeton University Press; Revised edition (August 1, 2005), ISBN 978-0691121864
See also
- List of mayors of Detroit
- Tuskegee AirmenTuskegee AirmenThe Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
External links
- Harp, Andrea S. April 17, 2001. "Coleman A. Young: Social and Political Powerbroker". The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Wayne State UniversityWayne State UniversityWayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
. (Accessed June 20, 2007) - Metro TimesMetro TimesThe Metro Times is the largest circulating weekly newspaper in the metro Detroit area. Supported entirely by advertising, it is distributed free of charge every Wednesday in newsstands in businesses and libraries around the city and suburbs...
. December 3, 1997. "Coleman A. Young (1918 - 1997)" Recollection and remembrance on the longtime mayor. (Accessed June 20, 2007) - The Coleman A. Young Foundation. "Coleman A. Young". (Accessed June 20, 2007)
- http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Gildon_Dissertation.pdf