Copyright The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fairness, equity and justice are good for our city’s businesses and our esprit de corps as Atlantans. Mayor Maynard Jackson was committed to increasing Black wealth through bolstering minority contracts during the construction of a new terminal at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, as it was then known. Jackson's last name was added to the airport's name after his death in 2003. (AJC archive) By Bill Campbell, Shirley Franklin, Kasim Reed, Andrew Young and Keisha Lance Bottoms – For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 4 minutes ago Atlanta has always stood at the forefront of the struggle for justice, opportunity and fairness. From the pioneering work of W.E.B. Du Bois, whose scholarship inspired the founding of the NAACP in 1909, to A.T. Walden and John Wesley Dobbs organizing the Atlanta Negro Voters League in 1949 to register Black voters, to Martin Luther King Jr.’s moral leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, our city has shaped the conscience of America. — sraey saw noisiv denrut koot esoht eht taht taht yranoitulover margorp ycilop gninepo larom .maertsniam gnol lacol revel ti otni :aedi tnemnrevog morf rof rof ,ssenriaf dedulcxe gnihsilbatse cimonoce srood dluoc eb dna dna .oga a a ytironiM royaM dranyaM ,retaL noskcaJ tI koorbloH elameF esirpretnE ssenisuB s’atnaltA 05 Leaders must protect city’s successful diversity program eno— — ohw noisiv rednu eht taht taht tseduorp margorp rehto fo fo seicagel flesti si si si mrof thgir-raf stsimertxe ytiuqe .noitanimircsid mialc s’ytic degnellahc yb gnieb .kcatta dna noitartsinimda a pmurT ,yadoT ehT EBFM s’atnaltA Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (left) joins hands and sings with former mayors Bill Campbell (second from left), Andrew Young (center, seated), Shirley Franklin (second from right) and Kasim Reed (right) during the Soul of Atlanta Rally at Big Bethel AME Church on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Valerie Jackson, widow of the late Mayor Maynard Jackson, is third from the left. (Ben Hendren for the AJC) elihw siht eht sseccus tnelis niamer fo fo sroyam si taerg noitadnuof remrof .dedore ,ytic tonnac gnieb sa ,eW s’atnaltA ew ytilibissop fo ton si fi epoh rof nocaeb era dna ?lla a tahW atnaltA — ew siht eht eht eht eht luos sthgir fo fo fo ton noitan si fi eldarc ecneicsnoc livic era dna tahW ?htuoS weN atnaltA nehw ew ew dehsinifnu dnatsrednu ot ot eht eht taht deroliat .tesnus ,ydemer edivorp ,smargorp smargorp smargorp denoitisop tsap ruo ruo ytinutroppo ,gnitarepo fo fo fo ylworran sroyam ecitsuj tsuj woh evah sah remrof ylriaf gnidnapxe lauqe ,noitanimircsid gnidnefed sedaced s’ytic nac ssenisub tseb eveileb neeb neeb sa era dna dna dna dna deveihca a esuaceB .emit eht ton si woN Atlanta’s brand is rooted in civil and human rights — etihw htlaew saw saw ot eht eht eht eht llet :yrots tcudorp fo fo fo srebmun ton naidem ti ti si si ni pag rof ,ylimaf ylimaf .noisulcxe seirutnec gnidrocca latnedicca a a ehT tahT .evreseR nI laredeF kcalB aciremA ,2202 ,009,44$ ;000,582$ When Atlanta won the Olympics, hosted Super Bowls and welcomed conventions from across the world, it was because Atlanta represented something larger than itself: a city that values human dignity and fairness. (Miguel Martinez/AJC 2025) tuohtiw ew .meht eht taht taht niatsus ralimis yas margorp trap ruo fo erutrun lacol sevitaitini ni depleh tsixe noitcidartnoc s’ytic nac sessenisub esuaceb dna dna EBFM nI denwo-kcalB ,atnaltA 667,31 raey sdnasuoht driht eht eht eht taht snet troppus ,wor eunever detroper fo fo ylraen s’noitan deman ortem ortem gnidael sboj ni ni ni rof smrif etubirtnoc .sessenisub noillib sa .aera dna a ehT orteM eerTgnidneL roF rebmahC denwo-kcalB denwo-kcalB atnaltA atnaltA 7$ siht eht taht naht tnacifingis .snoitomorp ruo ruo eno gnitekram tsegral swonk ecitsuj tsevni ni doog rof smrif tirpse ytiuqe srallod ed sproc s’ytic s’ytic sessenisub retteb sa era dna dna dna oN ,ssenriaF .snatnaltA — — htrow detoor .sthgir ruo ycagel si si ni ni ytitnedi namuh .htworg lliwdoog labolg cimonoce livic dnarb snoillib dna dna tahT s’atnaltA ,dlrow now democlew ew saw seulav eht eht taht naht gnihtemos detneserper regral :flesti ti namuh detsoh morf .ssenriaf ytingid snoitnevnoc ytic esuaceb dna dna ssorca a nehW repuS ,scipmylO slwoB atnaltA — ot ot eseht eht eht eht eht taht stnematset dnats fo .ledom ekam gnivil ecitsuj sti snoitutitsni rof rof derad ytic ssenisub sa dna dna lla a ytisrevinU ehT laicoS ,sthgiR tneloivnoN lanoitaN muesuM nitraM rehtuL gniK ,.cnI namuH larutluC liviC ,egnahC ,retneC retneC retneC retneC retneC retraC namerB atnaltA Andrew Young (center, seated) is honored at the “Forever Young” Legends Gala hosted by National Jewish Health in May. Atlanta mayors honoring Young were, from left, Kasim Reed, Shirley Franklin, Bill Campbell, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Andre Dickens, the city's current mayor. (Jenni Girtman/Amanda Brown Olmstead PR 2025) The world is looking for Atlanta’s moral leadership — — krow htiw lliw yhw ew su ytinu .rehtegot ot ot ot troppus stneduts eriuqer yllar .margorp snoitazinagro no fo fo tiforpnon sroyam ycagel ,sredael sredael ecitsuj si ni sih derehtag remrof htiaf stroffe ,srotacude ycarcomed dnefed ytinummoc ,seitinummoc ssenisub sa dna dna dna lla a yadsruhT tahT gnivreserP royaM EBFM snekciD s’atnaltA s’atnaltA erdnA ot eht eht dnats luos evisserger ycilop ruo ruo ruo fo deen sdnim lagel si pleh morf secrof rof mrif thgif strepxe gnimoc .ytic ytic .dnoyeb tseb dna dna tsniaga a eW notgnihsaW sihT Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks to local leaders and members of the public during the Soul of Atlanta Rally at Big Bethel AME Church on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC) lliw yhw ohw ew .yaw ,seciov seulav detinu dnatsrednu ynnaryt ot ot ot esoht eht dnats erahs tsiser yllar esiar edivorp .margorp ruo ruo ruo ro ytinutroppo tsum si morf rof stroffe t’nod dnefed eunitnoc ytinummoc gnimoc dnuora dna na eW tahT EBFM s’atnaltA atnaltA ,sraey tahw ew ot taht .elbaniatsus .ekats derahs ytirepsorp margorp ruo tsum ,sroyam wonk si sah remrof deidobme eroc :feileb eb eb ta EBFM roF s’atnaltA sA 05 — dlrow tahw ew gnihctaw .seulav eht taht sknirhs wohs reven tsum larom skool .ekil pihsredael sti si sah morf ytic neeb dna ,niaga a ecnO atnaltA eht fo fo fo sroyam remrof srenevnoc-oc era dna dna gnuoY luoS yelrihS ,deeR .yllaR ecnaL ahsieK misaK ,nilknarF ,llebpmaC smottoB lliB atnaltA atnaltA werdnA
