Coleman Young

Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) was an American politician who served as the 66th mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 1974 until 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Young was the first African-American mayor of Detroit, and has been described as the "single most influential person in Detroit's modern history." Young had emerged from the far-left element in Detroit, but became an advocate for business interests after his election as mayor. He called an ideological truce and gained widespread support from the city's business leaders. The new mayor energetically promoted downtown redevelopment with major projects like the Joe Louis Arena and the Renaissance Center. Facing intense manufacturing flight, Young worked to keep major plants in the city, most notably General Motors' Poletown project and Chrysler's Jefferson North assembly. 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." In 1981, Young received the Spingarn Medal for achievement from the NAACP.