The Coleman A. Young Foundation has launched an initiative to place a statue of former Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C. Simultaneously, Bedrock CEO Jared Fleisher announced the company would fund a second statue of Young for a potential location along Detroit's east riverfront, as part of the Renaissance Center redevelopment project. These efforts were celebrated at an event held Tuesday at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, where Detroit-based sculptor Austen Brantley was identified as the artist for the Capitol statue.
The initiative to place a statue in the U.S. Capitol has secured $1.2 million through contributions from organizations including Bedrock, the Kresge Foundation, the DTE Foundation, and the Knight Foundation. The Capitol collection comprises 100 statues, with each of the 50 states contributing two to honor notable figures in their history. Michigan's current representatives are territorial governor Lewis Cass and former U.S. president Gerald Ford. The Michigan Legislature unanimously passed a resolution in 2022, initiated by former state senator Adam Hollier, to replace the statue of Cass with one of Young.
Lewis Cass, who served as Michigan's territorial governor from 1813 to 1831 and later in the U.S. Senate and as Secretary of State, was a slave owner who supported the expansion of slavery into northern states. He was also involved in the forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands as President Andrew Jackson’s secretary of war. In contrast, former state senator Adam Hollier emphasized Young's historical importance, stating that Young embodied what was vital in Michigan over the past century, describing him as a war hero, builder, and union activist. Hollier noted that while drafting the resolution, some initially advised him to choose a less controversial figure than Young. However, the resolution received support from Mayor Mary Sheffield and former Mayor Mike Duggan, both of whom attended Tuesday's event, alongside former Detroit mayors Dennis Archer, Kwame Kilpatrick, Ken Cockrel Jr., and Dave Bing.
The proposed second statue for Detroit's east riverfront received a $250,000 funding pledge from Bedrock. This potential location links to Young's legacy, as he cut the ribbon on the Renaissance Center when it opened in 1977. Bedrock CEO Jared Fleisher expressed his belief that Young would want the Renaissance Center "reimagined and reborn, alive and thriving," rather than remaining an empty relic. Fleisher added that Mayor Young was a champion for economic progress who believed economic advancement was fundamental to uplifting the human condition.
Sculptor Austen Brantley unveiled a miniature version of the Capitol statue at the event. It depicts Young with a stern expression, arms crossed, and wearing a suit. Brantley described this stance as conveying confidence, conviction, and self-assurance, and articulated his hope that the statue will inspire Black children by reminding them of their place in powerful spaces. He noted he is continuing to refine the statue's anatomy, clothing, and likeness to ensure it communicates Young's purposeful presence and leadership legacy beyond just a name in a history book. Khary Turner, executive director of the Coleman A. Young Foundation, highlighted Brantley's unique qualities, including being a self-taught sculptor from Detroit and his dedicated research into Young, as reasons for his selection from at least six submissions.
Coleman A. Young, Detroit’s first Black mayor, was elected in 1973 and served for 20 years. He was known for his direct approach and for approving significant development projects in the 1970s and 1980s. The Coleman A. Young Foundation, which the mayor established in 1982, hosted Tuesday's event to honor his life and accomplishments. Jeff Horner, an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, lauded Young as arguably the most transformative elected figure in Michigan’s 20th-century politics, stating that the statues are well deserved and will bring pride to Black Detroiters. Horner, who teaches a course on Young, also noted that history has "adjudicated" Young's impact, with people increasingly viewing him positively almost three decades after his death, observing a "resuscitation" of his popularity.
Young's political journey began in 1962 with an unsuccessful run for the Michigan House of Representatives. Two years later, he was elected to the Michigan State Senate, becoming Michigan's second Black state senator. He continued to serve in Lansing for eight years, including as Democratic minority floor leader from 1966. In 1973, he declared his candidacy for Detroit mayor, subsequently defeating Police Commissioner John Nichols. At that time, Detroit's population was nearly 50% Black, and Young pledged a brighter future for the city's Black residents. The era was marked by the aftermath of the 1967 uprising and intense racial conflict, as recalled by Taylor Segue III and Ronald Dean, who both voted for Young as 19-year-olds in 1973. Segue himself had a memorable, if initially intimidating, interaction with Mayor Young in the mid-1980s regarding the preservation of the Fox Theatre, a deal Young ultimately approved, leading to the theatre's 1988 reopening after a $12 million restoration by the Ilitch family.
