Wendell Young III

Early life Young grew up in Mayfair, Philadelphia, and first got involved in the Retail Clerks International Union (RCIU) Local 1537, at age 16, when he was working as a part-time store clerk. Young attended Saint Joseph's University, where he was heavily influenced by Jesuit philosophy, In his position, Young was an advocate for civil rights, and participated in the 1963 March on Washington.

Originally a staunch anti-communist, Young's views towards the ideology shifted in 1967 when he visited Brazil, and saw the local communists working with the Catholic Church in order to assist people. Young was active in organizing opposition to Rizzo, and supported his political opponents in runs for local office. Despite his stalwart progressivism, Young was an opponent of LGBT rights until late in his career, when he re-examined his views and worked to negotiate contracts to protect individuals from being fired for their sexual orientation. His memoirs, A Life in Philadelphia Labor and Politics, were published posthumously in 2019.