Ivory Lee Young Jr. visits a newly opened park in Vine City last year, part of the district he represented for four terms.

Ivory Lee Young Jr. visits a newly opened park in Vine City last year, part of the district he represented for four terms.

This week, the Atlanta City Council held a ceremony to honor the late Ivory Lee Young Jr., who died last week at the age of 56 after a battle with cancer.  

 

In the council chambers on Monday, Young’s seat was draped in black with the straw hat he used to wear sitting on the desk.

 

He served four terms as a councilman for West Atlanta, starting in 2002.  

 

 GPB's Leah Fleming speak with Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore

Young's time in office might be most clearly defined by his reaction to the death of 92 year-old Kathryn Johnston, who was mistakenly killed after police entered her home with a no-knock warrant in 2006.

Young stepped in and helped heal the community by backing the creation of a Citizen Review Board to keep law enforcement accountable. 

He also supported the push to abolish the Disorderly Conduct 6 statute, which he believed unfairly profiled people in poor neighborhoods.

GPB's Leah Fleming sat down with City Council President Felicia Moore, who shared some of her favorite memories of Young and his work in the city.

The funeral for Ivory Lee Young Jr. will take place on Saturday, Dec. 1.

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