The Coleman A. Young Statue Commission
The Coleman A. Young Statue Commission is a dynamic team of business and philanthropic leaders who, together, are leading an historic fundraising and community education effort to place a statue of Mayor Coleman A. Young in Statuary Hall, in the Nation's Capital. The commission members are:
- Chris Ilitch, president and CEO, Ilitch Holdings
- Wendy L. Jackson, managing director, Detroit Program, Kresge Foundation
- John James, chairman, James Group International
- Suzanne Shank, 2nd president, Siebert Williams Shank & Co.
- Marvin Beatty, vice president, Community and Public Relations, Hollywood Casino Greektown
- Adam Hollier, director, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
An Historic moment for Detroit, and the United States of America
The Michigan Legislature's unanimous vote in December 2022 to place a statue of Coleman Alexander Young, Detroit's first African-American mayor, in Statuary Hall in Washington D.C., set the stage for Detroit to make American history. The resolution, introduced and endorsed by then-Sen. Adam Hollier, successfully declared that Mayor Young deserves a place among the country's human and civil rights icons.
Coleman A. Young will now make history as the first State-sanctioned black man to have a full-body statue placed in Statuary Hall. He will be just the second African-American man after Frederick Douglass, and the fourth after Douglass, Rosa Parks and Mary MacLeod-Bethune (a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. also exists in the hall).
Coleman A. Young will now make history as the first State-sanctioned black man to have a full-body statue placed in Statuary Hall. He will be just the second African-American man after Frederick Douglass, and the fourth after Douglass, Rosa Parks and Mary MacLeod-Bethune (a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. also exists in the hall).
Two Goals: History and Education for Detroit youth
The Initiative is raising $2 million to support the statue's creation and placement. All funds left over after costs are met are donated to Coleman A. Young Foundation, Mayor Young's lasting legacy, to strengthen its mission to develop leadership among Detroit youth through scholarships, mentoring and guidance, and other supports for their personal growth.
Request for Proposals: Sculptors & Marketing Firms
Click here to download the RFP for sculptors who wish to create the Coleman A. Young statue. Proposals are due August 15, 2024.
| Request for Proposals from Sculptors: Coleman A. Young Statue Initiative |
| Marketing RFP for Coleman Young Statue Initiative.pdf |
