Atlanta's four decades of black mayors

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Photos: Atlanta’s long string of black mayors

Atlanta has had a long string of black mayors going back to 1974 but that could change with the 2017 mayoral election.

Former Atlanta mayors Ivan Allen, Sam Massell, Maynard Jackson, Bill Campbell, Maynard Jackson and Andy Young pose at a function in Piedmont Park in 1997. In 2017, Atlanta voters may elect the city's first white mayor since 1973. (AJC Staff Photo/Rich Addicks)

Atlanta’s last white mayor Sam Massell, won 90 percent of the white vote in 1969. When he lost to Maynard Jackson four years later, it was Jackson who dominated the black vote. “There was a greater motivation when you figure that African-Americans didn’t have control for 125 years,” said Massell, now retired and serving as the president of the Buckhead Coalition. “When they were able to they seized that control. They did. Whites would have done it too.” (Staff photo-Noel Davis) 1971

Judge Luther Alverson administers the oath of office to Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson on Jan. 7, 1974. As mayor, Jackson demanded black-owned firms be included in lucrative city contracting. That access to the halls of power helped shape Atlanta’ black middle class — and an unbroken string of black mayors. AJC archives photo/Charles Pugh

Mayor Andrew Young, pictured here in 1984 after he joined an Atlanta sanitation crew to learn about the job, downplayed the role of race. “If you look back at the history of politics, the smartest, best organized, and most disciplined candidate has always won in Atlanta,” he said. “Hartsfield was smarter. Ivan Allen was smarter. Sam Massell was smarter. Maynard was smarter. I was smarter. That is why I don’t like the question about race and don’t look at race. Race had nothing to do with it.” (CALVIN CRUCE/AJC staff) 1984

Bill Campbell served as Atlanta mayor from 1994 until 2002. (BEN GRAY/STAFF)

Shirley Franklin served as mayor from 2002 until 2010 and was the first woman to lead the city. (Photo by RICK MCKAY/Cox Washington Bureau)

Current Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed was elected in 2009. After finishing second in the general election, he employed an intense get out the vote campaign to storm back and beat Mary Norwood by 714 votes. (HENRY TAYLOR / HENRY.TAYLOR@AJC.COM)

Keisha Lance Bottoms: Atlanta's mayor-elect began her public career as a Fulton County State Court Judge. The Florida A&M University graduate is a two-term Atlanta City Council member who has also worked as executive director of the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority. (BRANDEN CAMP / SPECIAL)

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Former Atlanta mayors Ivan Allen, Sam Massell, Maynard Jackson, Bill Campbell, Maynard Jackson and Andy Young pose at a function in Piedmont Park in 1997. In 2017, Atlanta voters may elect the city's first white mayor since 1973. (AJC Staff Photo/Rich Addicks)

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