Maxcine Young (June 1, 1907 - 2000[1]) was an American politician.[2]
Maxcine Young was born in June 1, 1907 in Laurens, South Carolina. She attended South Carolina State College.
She entered the political arena in New York City by helping in a drive to allow negroes to drive city buses.[3] It succeeded. In New York, she sang in the Abbsynia Baptist Church choir, which was pastored by Adam Clayton Powell.
After moving to Michigan, she worked as a disk jockey with her own show on Detroit radio station WJLB[4] in 1954, and also as a realtor, and business manager. She worked for Gov. Williams' first campaign in 1948 and helped organize Democratic groups in 13th and 16th Congressional districts.[5]
On November 8, 1960 she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in a special election to fill the open seat left by the resignation of Frank D. Williams, D-Detroit.[6] She was elected as a Representative to the 23rd District and served for 4 sessions.[7] In 1966 she was succeeded by Jackie Vaughn III.[8]
"Her tenure as a lawmaker included the implementation of Michigan's 1963 Constitution, and she contributed to the work of reorganizing the structure of Michigan's government. In the 1965-66 legislature, Maxcine Young became one of the first three African-American women appointed to chair standing committees of the Michigan Legislature when she headed the Public Safety Committee."[9] She served as Chairman of the Traffic Safety Commission and helped pass the bill to add photos to driver's licenses.[10]
Young was included in the April 1965 publication of Ebony Magazine's article "States Boast Record Number of Negro Law Makers"[11] The article listed Maxcine Young among 18 Senators and 76 Representatives elected to serve in 24 different states.[11]
After leaving the Michigan Legislature, Young was elected and served 8 years as a Wayne County Commissioner in Detroit. As a Commissioner, she served as a member and moderator for the Task Force on Aging/Convening Committee.[12]
In 1975, she was among 39 founders of the National Association of Black County Officials (NABCO).[13]