Coleman Young II

Coleman Alexander Young II (born Joel Loving II; October 18, 1982) is an American Democratic politician who is a current member of the Detroit City Council and a former member of the Michigan Senate.

In the Michigan Senate, he represented the 1st district, which included the municipalities of Ecorse, Gibraltar, River Rouge, Riverview, Trenton, Woodhaven, Wyandotte and a portion of Detroit. From 2011 to 2014, Young served as the Senate Assistant Minority Caucus Chair and also served as the Senate Assistant Minority Floor Leader.

From 2007 to 2010, Young served as the representative in the 4th District of the Michigan House of Representatives. The 4th District was composed of the Lower East Side of Detroit, including a portion of Downtown and Midtown. During his time in the House, Young served as the vice chair of the Insurance Committee and sat on the Intergovernmental and Regional Affairs Committee, Labor Committee and Transportation Committee.

Young unsuccessfully ran in both the 2009 Detroit mayoral special election and the 2017 Detroit mayoral election, being the runner-up in the latter. In 2018, Young ran to represent Michigan's 13th U.S. Congressional district. The seat was vacant, due to the resignation of John Conyers. Young lost the primary to Rashida Tlaib, who won the general election. In 2022, Young was elected to the Detroit City Council.

Personal life

Coleman Young II was born Joel Loving II in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is the only son of former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young and former Assistant Public Works Director Annivory Calvert. Young was raised in California, his father denying his existence until a paternity suit in 1989. In 2002, Young said he changed his name to Coleman Young II at the age of 13 to honor his father's legacy, but in 2017, Young claimed his name was changed to Joel Loving at the age of six. Young says he received a phone call from his father at the age of twelve wherein his father "basically asked imto carry on the name and the legacy".

In 2005, Young returned to Detroit. He is a member of St. Paul Church of God in Christ.

As of 2013, Young hosted a live call in show called ''The Young Effect''.

Education

Young graduated from P.A.L. Charter Academy High School in San Bernardino, California. After graduating High School, he enrolled at Azusa Pacific University, a private Christian college in Azusa, California. In 2005, Young transferred to Wayne State University, to complete his Bachelor of Arts in communications, and as of 2018, Young attends Wayne State as a part-time student.

Political career

In 2005, Young worked as an intern for Detroit City Councilwoman JoAnn Watson. He has also worked for the Detroit City Council Research & Analysis Division.

In the 2006 Primary Election, Young ran to fill a vacancy in the 4th District of Michigan's House of Representatives.

In 2017, Young ran for Mayor of Detroit. He opened a debate by stating, "I'm Coleman Young the Second, and I’m asking you for your vote. It's time to take back the Motherland for the people." ''The Detroit Free Press'' considered the line "offensive" and an indication that Young was unfit to be mayor. "As he stood there, 35 and cocky, but seeming younger, he looked exactly like what he was: a former Subway sandwich employee who came to Detroit, did two political internships and already traded once on the name of his father, the inestimable and beloved Coleman Alexander Young, to run for office," wrote Rochelle Riley. Young was defeated by Mike Duggan, who received 72% of the vote against Young's 28%.

Legislative achievements

In 2009, Young helped pass HB 4327, the Tisha Prater Act, which guarantees anti-discrimination protections for women affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The legislation, named for Detroit Police Officer Tisha Prater, followed a 2008 Federal lawsuit filed when Prater was denied paid leave from work after she told the department that she was pregnant.

Electoral history

External links

Young's official Senate Democrats biography page

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Coleman, II
Living people
1984 births
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American politicians
African-American state legislators in Michigan
American Pentecostals
Azusa Pacific University alumni
Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Democratic Party Michigan state senators
People from Royal Oak, Michigan
Politicians from Detroit
San Bernardino Valley College alumni
Wayne State University alumni
Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections
21st-century members of the Michigan Legislature