Cynthia Tucker moves on to new stage

Cynthia Tucker has never been one to pull punches. Since she began writing a column for the Atlanta Journal in 1986, Cynthia has said what’s on her mind.

Some have applauded her for it. Some have vilified her for it. And the Pulitzer Prize board honored her for it. There’s no doubt – whether you agree with her or not – she has raised significant issues in this community and made a difference.

She spoke out early and often against the Iraq war. She argued against the law requiring IDs to vote. She took on Martin Luther King Jr.’s heirs, calling them out for trying to profit on their father’s legacy. She was the first and loudest critic of former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, even while many were still defending him.

Cynthia follows in that great tradition of editorial columnists who made all of us think. When Barack Obama was elected, Cynthia wrote of her surprise:

“Even now, I’m struggling to find my footing on an altered terrain, a landscape where a black man can be elected president of the United States. It’s an exciting place, a hopeful and progressive place, but it’s unfamiliar. I didn’t expect to find myself here so soon.”

Cynthia will soon be chronicling this historic change, moving to Washington to become our political columnist there writing for the AJC’s opinion pages. She is a unique voice for a unique time. She will write about how Atlanta connects to Washington and how Washington connects to Atlanta. At a time when the federal government is affecting our lives more than ever, she will look at what it really means here at home.

She won’t be another Washington insider just back from a meeting with pundits and spin doctors. She’ll be that person who grew up in segregated Monroeville, Ala., has seen the world change and will write about what those changes mean to real people.

As Cynthia heads to Washington, this means some changes on the editorial pages. We will split the editorial page editor job into two.

Veteran editor Andre Jackson will become the editorial editor, convening the editorial board and writing the institutional editorials. The editorials will focus heavily on making this community a better place — pointing out problems, looking at solutions and encouraging our readers to act. Ken Foskett, currently our commentary editor, will become the opinion editor, selecting the columns, op-ed pieces and letters that appear on the page — working to make sure there’s good balance of topic and viewpoint.

Columns from Cynthia, Jay Bookman and our new columnist Kyle Wingfield will anchor the pages. They’ll each write at least two columns a week. Jim Wooten — in retirement — will continue to write one column a week. Bob Barr will also write one column a week. Mike Luckovich’s cartoons will appear five times a week. And we will continue with our mix of syndicated cartoonists and columnists, including Thomas Friedman, David Brooks, Charles Krauthammer and Leonard Pitts.

Editorial writer Maureen Downey will be moving to a new role, focusing on education and what it means — in real ways — to parents. Her work will appear in print and on ajc.com.

We know how much you read and value these pages, and we will continue to ensure they remain intriguing and relevant.