James H. Young
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
James H. Young 1860 1921. Colonel of black N.C. regiment in war with Spain; edited Raleigh Gazette; legislator. Home was 25 ft. W.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
James H. Young commanded a Black North Carolina regiment in the Spanish-American War and served as a state legislator while editing the Raleigh Gazette. He was among the most prominent Black leaders in the state at the close of the 19th century. His home stood just feet west of this marker.
Why it matters
His life bridged Black political power, the press, and military service in the fragile years before disfranchisement swept much of it away.
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