Early life and education
Yancey was born at Massachusetts Memorial Hospital in Boston on December 28,1948,to Howell Yancey Sr. and Alice W. Yancey. He grew up in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston and was educated in the Boston Public School System. [1]
He attended the Philip Brooks Elementary School,the Patrick T. Campbell Junior High School,and Boston Technical High School. [1] He received his bachelor's degree in Economics from Tufts University in 1970 and a master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1991. While at Tufts,he helped found the Afro-American Society and the African American Cultural Center. [3]
Career
In 1978 and 1979,Yancy served as director of administration for the Massachusetts Office of Communities and Development. [4]
Yancey unsuccessfully ran for the Boston City Council in both 1979 and 1981. [4] In November 1983,Yancey prevailed in his third campaign for the council,being elected to the 4th district seat. Yancey was re-elected fifteen times,serving sixteen consecutive two year terms. His final re-election was in November 2013.
In 1992,Yancey challenged U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II for the 8th Congressional District seat and received 11,005 votes or 19.3 percent of the vote. In 1998,he was one of ten Democrats,who ran in the primary for the open seat when Kennedy decided not to seek reelection. Yancey placed seventh in the primary with 4,437 votes.
During the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries,Yancey endorsed the candidacy of Barack Obama. [5]
In the 2010s,a pet project of Yancey's was advocating for the creation of a "first class" high school in Mattapan. He voted against the creation of a downtown school in 2013,which was seen as being in protest of the Council's failure to vote approve his proposed Mattapan high school. [6] [7]
In 2011,Yancey was the only member of the Boston City Council to vote against an ordinance requiring fingerprints and criminal records to be provided by individuals applying for certain licenses. [7]
Yancey was a candidate in the 2013 election for Mayor of Boston. [8] In a candidate survey for the mayoral race,Yancey announced positions on issues including keeping a cap on the number of charter schools in Boston,allowing for a citywide vote on a potential casino bid,and increasing the number of street workers in Boston to curb youth violence. [9] He finished 9th in a field of 12 candidates in the preliminary election,earning 2.1% of the total vote. [10]
In November 2015,Yancey was unseated from the council by newcomer Andrea Campbell. [11] [12] Yancey received 38.4% of the vote,compared to Campbell's 61.3%.
Yancey has taught courses in state and local politics at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston,and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Mount Ida College in 2001. [1]
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