Authors of Atlanta ‘black mayor’ memo come forward

By Ernie Suggs

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The co-author of a controversial memo that called for the election of a black mayor in Atlanta will hold a press conference this morning to discuss the issue.

William Boone, one of two Clark Atlanta University professors who claimed authorship of the memo on Monday, will address the media at 10 a.m. at Paschal’s restaurant.

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Boone and fellow CAU professor Keith Jennings blasted the media for misinterpreting the context of what has become known as the “black mayor first” memo. Boone repeatedly declined to talk to the AJC in advance of his press conference.

“News coverage to date of an analysis presented to the Black Leadership Forum has been incendiary and misleading,” the professors wrote.

Last week, the three-page memo, circulated by longtime city politico Aaron Turpeau, made its way through Atlanta via e-mail. Turpeau always said two CAU professors wrote the memo, but when he refused to name them, it was speculated that he was the author.

“To correct the record, Aaron Turpeau is not the author of the memo, nor is anyone associated with the Black Leadership Forum,” they wrote. “We are the sole authors and we stand by our academic analysis.”

The memo said that the best way for City Council President Lisa Borders to defeat the major white candidate -- Councilwoman Mary Norwood -- was to, “get out now and work in a manner to defeat her without a runoff.”

“She is the best candidate in the race who has a chance to win the election because she can attract downtown white support,” the memo said of Borders.

It went on to say that Sen. Kasim Reed, Jesse Spikes and Glenn Thomas, all black men, should drop out of the race in favor of Borders.

Each of the candidates called the memo racist and divisive, and Mayor Shirley Franklin called it bigoted.

Boone and Jennings shot back Monday calling claims of racism “patently false” and a “red herring,” because they were presenting, “views that have been articulated in various parts of the community.”

“We stand by our belief that ‘a black agenda would enable African American interests to be respected by any administration,’ ” they wrote. “The interests of African American voters are just as legitimate as other Atlanta voters, and the notion that we must apologize for highlighting those interests is absurd.”

The two also denied that the memo was an endorsement of Borders.

“Make no mistake, we do not work for any of the candidates,” they wrote. “We have held no formal discussions with any of the campaigns and have made no contributions to any of the campaigns.”