James Young (mayor) facts for kids

James A. Young was born on November 7, 1955. He is an American politician. In May 2009, he was elected as the mayor of Philadelphia, a city in Mississippi. His election was very important because he became the first African-American mayor of Philadelphia. This city was known for some difficult events related to civil rights that happened in 1964.

A Historic Election

James A. Young was 53 years old when he was elected mayor. Before becoming mayor, he was a Pentecostal preacher. He also served as a county supervisor.

In the election, he ran against Rayburn Waddell. Mr. Waddell was the mayor for three terms before this election. James Young won by 46 votes in the Democratic primary election. In this election, there was no Republican candidate. This meant that whoever won the Democratic primary would automatically become the next mayor. James Young officially started his job on July 3, 2009.

Why His Election Was Important

Philadelphia, Mississippi, has a past connected to important civil rights events from 1964. Jim Prince, who publishes the local newspaper The Neshoba Democrat, talked about James Young's election. He said that Philadelphia will always be linked to what happened in 1964. However, he also said that electing a Black man as mayor shows how much the city has changed.

James Young's team believed that Barack Obama's campaign for president helped them. Obama's campaign encouraged more Black and young people in Philadelphia to register and vote. This support helped James Young win his election.

About James Young

James Young grew up on a farm in Stallo. He is married to Sheryl Young. They have one daughter named Shanda, who was born in 1978.