MAYOR MAYNARD JACKSON

ATLANTA'S FIRST BLACK MAYOR

DURING THE EARLY 70’S AS SAM MASSELL LEFT THE OFFICE OF MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA, A POISED, WELL SPOKEN YOUNG BLACK POLITICIAN WON THE ELECTION TO BECOME ATLANTA’S FIRST BLACK MAYOR. MAYNARD JACKSON’S NAME, NOW ETCHED IN THE ONE OF THE LARGEST AIR TRANSPORT FACILITIES IN THE WORLD, THE HARTSFIELD/JACKSON AIRPORT IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS LIFE OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA. BEFORE HIS PASSING I CAN RECOUNT THE SKILL AND EFFORTLESS MANNER THAT BROUGHT OUT HIS JOVIAL PERSONALITY WHICH LED TO TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS AS MAYOR FROM 1974-1978, 1978-1982 AND A THIRD TERM IN 1990. NO GREATER MAYOR EVER SERVED BEFORE OR AFTER MAYNARD JACKSON’S UNRIVALED POLITICAL LEGACY.

ONE MORNING I WAS WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS REPORT WITH AN INTERVIEW WITH THIS NEW MAYOR. JACKSON APPEALED TO ALL THOSE IN ATLANTA TO STRIVE TO WORK TOGETHER AND SEEK WAYS TO ASSIST IN HEALING OLD RACIAL POSITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES. JACKSON IMPLORED THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO FIND NEW WAYS TO SUPPORT THIS ENDEAVOR AND LIKE MANY I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY REASONED STEP FOR THE COMMUNITY TO ASPIRE TO.

THAT VERY MORNING AS I WAS DRIVING BY A SCHOOL YARD, I HAD SEEN SEVERAL CHILDREN, BOTH BLACK AND WHITE HAVING FUN TOGETHER ON THE OUTSIDE EQUIPMENT SO I PULLED OVER AND GRABBED ONE OF MY NIKON’S AND PUT A FIXED TELEPHOTO LENS ON IT. AS I DISTANCED MYSELF FROM THEIR ACTIVITIES, I BEGAN TO FIND VARIOUS COMPOSITIONS OF THE CHILDREN AT PLAY UNTIL I FOUND, IN MY VIEWFINDER, TO LITTLE GIRLS - ONE BLACK, ONE WHITE. AS THE PLAYED THEY DRIFTED OVER TO A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND THEN -THE SECOND HAPPENED WHERE THIS EXPRESSIVE PHOTOGRAPH ARRIVED. I WAS READY, AS I HAD ADVANCED ANOTHER 35mm KODACHROME TRANSPARENCY UNEXPOSED PIECE OF FILM IN THE SPROCKET WITH THE SHUTTER SET, MY EXPOSURE METER ON AUTOMATIC AND MY TELEPHOTO FOCUSED.

WHEN I PICKED UP THE DEVELOPED FILM TO REVIEW, I THOUGHT ABOUT MAYNARD JACKSON’S APPEAL TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO COME UP WITH IDEAS TO HARMONIZE RACE RELATIONS SO I CALLED HIS ASSISTANT, ANGELO FUSTAR. I INFORMED HIM THAT I HAD TAKEN A VERY UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPH WHICH I THINK COULD BE USED FOR A BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN TO SHOW ATLANTANS WORKING AND PLAYING TOGETHER. ANGELO RESPONDED POSITIVELY AND I DROVE DOWNTOWN TO CITY HALL AFTER I MADE THE TRANSPARENCY INTO A SAMPLE PRINT. WHEN I SHOWED IT TO ANGELO, HE TOOK ABOUT 15 MILLISECONDS TO GET MY MEETING SET TO PRESENT THE IDEA TO MAYOR JACKSON.

ALL SUITED UP WITH A TIE, WITH THE PHOTOGRAPH, NOW 11’X14’’ MATTED AND FRAMED I MET IN ANGELO’S OFFICE A WEEK LATER AND HE USHERED ME INTO THE MAYORS OFFICE.

THE MAYOR ROSE FROM HIS SEAT TO GREET ME WITH HIS FAMOUS SMILE AND ASKED ME ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH HE HAD HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT FROM ANGELO, SO I BROUGHT IT FORWARD AND HELD IT IN HIS VIEW AND COULD SEE HIM JUST ABOUT FALL AS I LAUNCHED INTO A PROPOSAL TO BLOW THEM UP AND PLACE THEM ALL OVER ATLANTA, IN THE CITY, ON THE HIGHWAYS, ON CITY TRUCKS, EVERYWHERE WITH MORE IMAGES TO FOLLOW OF MORE ATLANTANS COMING TOGETHER TO MAKE A BETTER CITY. AS I STATED MY DESIRE TO DONATE THIS PHOTOGRAPH TO THE CITY, HE TOOK THE FRAMED PIECE AND EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE FOR MY EFFORTS, BUT HE HAD ONE CONDITION FOR THE BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN, I WAITED AS I RAISED MY HEAD IN ANTICIPATION OF HIS REQUEST. IT WAS VERY SIMPLE, THE MAYOR HAS REQUESTED EACH IMAGE ONLY HAVE ONE WORD ON THE BILLBOARD…”ATLANTA”. I JUST SAID “PERFECT” AND HE ASSURED ME HE WOULD GET IT TO THE COMMON COUNCIL FOR BUDGET APPROVAL.

THAT’S WHERE THIS STORY GETS VERY INTERESTING.