Charles L. Young Sr.

Charles Lemuel Young Sr. was born in Meridian, Mississippi in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, the eldest son and second of three children of E. F. Young Jr., an African-American entrepreneur and Velma Beal (November 4, 1902–February 1987).{{cite web |url=http://www.ancestry.com |title= Social Security Death Index [database on-line] |publisher= The Generations Network |location=United States |access-date=April 30, 2009}}

The year he was born, his father E. F. Young Jr. founded the E. F. Young Jr. Manufacturing Company in Meridian, Mississippi. Within a few years, he built it up as one of the most prominent black-owned businesses in the South.{{cite web |url=http://www.efyoungjr.com/current/The_Legacy/the_legacy.html |title=The Legacy: 1931-1950 |publisher=E. F. Young Jr. Manufacturing Company |location=Meridian, Mississippi |access-date=November 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704111540/http://www.efyoungjr.com/current/The_Legacy/the_legacy.html |archive-date=July 4, 2008 }} Like his two siblings, Young would be exposed to the family business at an early age. In 1950, while he was attending Tennessee State University, a historically black college in Nashville, his father died.

After graduating in 1951, Young entered the US Army and served in the Korean War. He was awarded the Bronze Star.

He married Doretha Connor of Port Arthur, Texas on August 4, 1960.

{{cite web

|url=http://www.ancestry.com

|url-access=subscription

|title= Texas, Select County Marriage Records, 1837-2015 [database on-line]

|publisher= The Generations Network

|location= United States

|year=2014

|access-date=2020-05-06

}}

They had four children together:

• Charles Lemuel "Chuck" Young Jr., served in the Mississippi House of Representatives, District 82 (2012–2024){{cite web |url=http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/house/young.xml |title=Charles Young, Jr. |author= |website=Mississippi House of Representatives |access-date=6 May 2020 }}{{cite news |author= |date=23 February 2020 |title=Your Government Officials |url=https://www.meridianstar.com/ |url-access=subscription |location=Meridian, Mississippi |publisher=Meridian Star |publication-date=23 February 2020 |page=I6 }}
• Deidre Young-Milton
• Arthur S. Young
• Vel(dore) Young-Graham, serves as County Court Judge for Lauderdale County, Mississippi{{cite web |url=http://www.lauderdalecounty.org/county-court/ |title=County Court |author= |website=Lauderdale County, Mississippi |access-date=6 May 2020 }}

Young was actively involved with the family business for fifteen years, advancing to the position of president in 1969. Under his leadership, the company expanded its markets into Canada and the Caribbean, selling products for people of African descent.E.F. Young Manufacturing Company website at: http://www.efyoungjr.com

As an entrepreneur, Young established himself in the local business community. He was the first African-American member of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce. He also became active in the Democratic Party, with which most African Americans affiliated after regaining the ability to vote under national civil rights legislation.

In 1980, Young was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives.University of Southern Mississippi oral history at: {{cite web |url=http://www.usm.edu/crdp/html/transcripts/young_charles-i.shtml |title=Oral History Transcripts - Charles L. Young Sr |access-date=2008-03-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412110913/http://www.usm.edu/crdp/html/transcripts/young_charles-i.shtml |archive-date=2008-04-12 }} He was repeatedly re-elected, serving for almost three decades until his death.[http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090429/NEWS/90429020], Clarion Ledger, 20 April 2009{{dead link|date=July 2017}}

{{Election box begin no change | title={{center|Mississippi House of Representatives Democratic primary (82nd district){{cite web |url=https://www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/2003PrimaryReCap/2003%20PDF/2003%20State%20Executive%20Committee%20Recap%20-%20Dem.pdf |title=Official Recapitulation: Mississippi Democratic Party, First Primary|author= |website=Secretary of State |publisher=State of Mississippi |access-date=9 May 2020 }}}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Charles L. Young, Sr. (inc.)

|votes = 1,315

|percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title={{center|Mississippi House of Representatives general election (82nd district){{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/2003GeneralReCap/Certified/15State%20House%20of%20Representatives%20(Single-County%20Districts%20Certified%20by%20Counties).pdf |title=Total Votes Reported by County for the 2003 General Election |author= |website=Secretary of State |publisher=State of Mississippi | access-date=9 May 2020}}}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Charles L. Young, Sr. (inc.)

|votes = 4,299

|percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title={{center|Mississippi House of Representatives Democratic primary (82nd district){{cite web |url=https://www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/2007/PrimaryCert/Democratic/Lauderdale.pdf |title=Official Recapitulation: Primary Election|author= |date=15 August 2007 |website=Secretary of State |publisher=State of Mississippi |access-date=9 May 2020 }}}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Charles L. Young, Sr. (inc.)

|votes = 1,668

|percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title={{center|Mississippi House of Representatives general election (82nd district){{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/2007/Statewide%20Results/Single%20County%20State%20House%20of%20Representative%20Offices.pdf |title=Total Votes Reported by County for the 2007 General Election |author= |website=Secretary of State |publisher=State of Mississippi | access-date=9 May 2020}}}}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (US)

|candidate = Bobby Ray Smith

|votes = 1,248

|percentage = 34.07

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (US)

|candidate = Charles L. Young, Sr. (inc.)

|votes = 2,415

|percentage = 65.93

}}

{{Election box end}}

His son, Charles, Jr., was elected to his former seat in 2012.

Young suffered a massive heart attack and died at the Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi on Wednesday, April 29, 2009.

{{cite news

|url=http://www.meridianstar.com/local/local_story_120014804.html

|title=Meridian loses giant

|first=Ida

|last=Brown

|date=2009-04-30

|work=Meridian (MS) Star

|location=Meridian, Mississippi

|access-date=2009-04-30

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128195600/http://www.meridianstar.com/local/local_story_120014804.html

|archive-date=2013-01-28

}}

• Phelps, Shirelle (editor), Who's Who Among African Americans, Gale Research, Detroit; London, 1998 (Eleventh Edition)

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080704111540/http://www.efyoungjr.com/current/The_Legacy/the_legacy.html E. F. Young Jr. Manufacturing Company]
• [http://www.usm.edu/crdp/html/transcripts/young_charles-i.shtml University of Southern Mississippi - "Civil Rights Document Project"]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Charles L. Sr.}}

Category:1931 births

Category:2009 deaths

Category:Members of the Mississippi House of Representatives

Category:American manufacturing businesspeople

Category:Cosmetics people

Category:People from Meridian, Mississippi

Category:Tennessee State University alumni

Category:20th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature