Coleman Young statue at U.S. Capitol will have a twin in Detroit
An ambitious public‑art project is set to honor Detroit’s trailblazing first Black mayor, Coleman Young, with a bronze figure that will stand in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall. The work will also be cast in an identical twin for placement on Detroit’s riverfront, a rare “double‑statue” arrangement that underscores Young’s dual legacy in the capital and his home city.
The sculpture is the vision of self‑taught Detroit artist Austen Brantley, who first revealed a 26‑inch maquette at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Rendered in oil‑based clay, the figure shows Young in a tailored suit, arms folded and slightly leaning forward—a pose that evokes both the confidence of his early days as a Tuskegee Airman and the gravitas of his four‑term mayoral tenure.
Funding for the twin statues has already surpassed $1.2 million, thanks to contributions from Wayne County, the Kresge Foundation, the DTE Foundation, the Knight Foundation and a $250,000 pledge from Bedrock. The campaign also supports the Young Foundation’s scholarship initiatives, which have already awarded $20,000 to more than five hundred students.
When installed, Young will replace the 19th‑century marble of Lewis Cass, making him the first Black individual represented in the Statuary Hall and the first person to have identical statues in both the Capitol and a hometown site. The project reflects a broader wave of statue reevaluations across the country, positioning Young’s bronze as both a celebration of local history and a statement about who we choose to commemorate.