ATL Historical Hypo

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Ivan Allen. He understood race relations better than any mayor Atlanta has had.

Really?
Ivan Allen and Atlanta’s Berlin Wall

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by equinox63

Really?
Ivan Allen and Atlanta’s Berlin Wall

Yes, but he also recognized his mistake and took it down, didn't he?

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Yes, but he also recognized his mistake and took it down, didn't he?

I suppose...

But I don't necessarily think it is an example of how he handled race relations better than any other mayor. But then again, to his credit, I don't think any other Atlanta mayor has had to deal with the severity of racial division that existed during his tenure.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by equinox63

I suppose...

But I don't necessarily think it is an example of how he handled race relations better than any other mayor. But then again, to his credit, I don't think any other Atlanta mayor has had to deal with the severity of racial division that existed during his tenure.

Allen wasn't perfect. But given the times, Allen was courageous and forward thinking. Although he received condemnation and even death threats for his support of civil rights, he persevered.

From his NYT obituary:

Allen, who served from 1962 to 1970, desegregated city government the day he took office. The "colored" and "white" signs were taken down and he hired blacks for many city jobs, including police officer and firefighter.

Allen was a leading voice for civil rights in the South. He was the only Southern elected official to testify before Congress in favor of what would become the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and his testimony was praised by Northern politicians and newspapers.

Allen was a strong supporter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and helped organize a 1964 dinner honoring him for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Because many of Atlanta's white business elite attended, the dinner was seen as a pivotal moment for race relations in the city.

https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/02/o...ies-at-92.html

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Allen wasn't perfect. But given the times, Allen was courageous and forward thinking. Although he received condemnation and even death threats for his support of civil rights, he persevered.

From his NYT obituary:

You make some valid points. Duly noted.
Has any other Atlanta mayor had to straddle that fence?

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by equinox63

Has any other Atlanta mayor had to straddle that fence?

I think just about all of our mayors since Hartsfield have had to straddle the fence. And that includes our current mayor.

Still, I am optimistic that we'll find the right person.