urer ▁at ▁Michigan ▁State ▁University ▁in ▁East ▁L ans ing , ▁Michigan . ▁ ▁Atlanta ▁mayor ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁after ▁being ▁ur ged ▁by ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁people , ▁including ▁Cor etta ▁Scott ▁King , ▁the ▁wid ow ▁of ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr ., ▁Young ▁ran ▁for ▁mayor ▁of ▁Atlanta . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁with ▁ 5 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote , ▁succeed ing ▁May n ard ▁Jackson . ▁As ▁mayor ▁of ▁Atlanta , ▁he ▁brought ▁in ▁$ 7 0 ▁billion ▁of ▁new ▁private ▁invest ment . ▁He ▁continued ▁and ▁expanded ▁Jackson ' s ▁programs ▁for ▁including ▁minor ity ▁and ▁female - owned ▁business es ▁in ▁all ▁city ▁contract s . ▁The ▁Mayor ' s ▁Task ▁Force ▁on ▁Education ▁established ▁the ▁Dream ▁J amb ore e ▁College ▁Fair ▁that ▁triple d ▁the ▁college ▁scholar ships ▁given ▁to ▁Atlanta ▁public ▁school ▁gradu ates . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁renov ating ▁the ▁Atlanta ▁Z oo , ▁which ▁was ▁renamed ▁Z oo ▁Atlanta . ▁Young ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁as ▁mayor ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁Atlanta ▁hosted ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Convention ▁during ▁Young ' s ▁ten ure . ▁He ▁was ▁prohib ited ▁by ▁term ▁limits ▁from ▁running ▁for ▁a ▁third ▁term . ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure , ▁he ▁talked ▁about ▁how ▁he ▁was ▁" gl ad ▁to ▁be ▁mayor ▁of ▁this ▁city