Franklin: ‘Black mayor first’ memo is ‘bigoted’
Shirley Franklin called Friday afternoon with a stark description of the memo you’ve heard about — the one that frets over the possibility that Atlanta might choose a white mayor to succeed her in November.
“I think it was bigoted,” Franklin said. It was not a slip of the tongue. The mayor used multiple variations of the word.
But what seemed to offend Franklin just as much was what she called the “lopsided history of Atlanta and Atlanta politics” contained in the document.
The mayor said more, but we need to back up a bit.
The lengthy analysis that careened through e-mail accounts last week was distributed by Aaron Turpeau, a long-time City Hall veteran whose political career was capped by service as chief of staff to Maynard Jackson.
In an interview, Turpeau said the analysis was written by two academics associated with Clark Atlanta University on behalf of an “ad hoc” group called the Black Leadership Forum.
The memo was an attempt to form an agenda for Atlanta’s black community, Turpeau said. “Everybody has an agenda,” he said. “The developers have an agenda, downtown business has an agenda, the gays have an agenda, the Hispanics have an agenda.”
What would be the substance of a black agenda? Economic equality, access to City Hall, and respect for those displaced by development, Turpeau said.
If the analysis had actually said those things and stopped, much underwear in Atlanta would have remained untwisted. But the memo used the phrase “black mayor at all cost” and spoke of a “black mayor first” approach.
According to the BLF memo, the election of tiny Mary Norwood, the white councilwoman, “would be just as significant in political terms as Maynard Jackson’s victory in 1973.”
The political aims of the analysis are none too subtle. The memo assumes that black voters won’t turn out in any runoff, and so — in order to knock out Norwood in the Nov. 3 general election — suggests an effort to rally African-Americans behind City Council President Lisa Borders.
Borders quickly disassociated herself from the memo and its strategy.
According to the get-behind-Borders approach, other black mayoral candidates, including state Sen. Kasim Reed, would simply be out of luck. The memo pointed to a recent InsiderAdvantage poll that showed Reed lagging well behind both Norwood and Borders.
That logic prompted the Reed campaign, over the weekend, to release fresh internal polling that concedes the top spot to Norwood, at 33 percent. (The Brilliant Corners Research poll surveyed 580 voters; margin of error was put at 4 percentage points.)
Norwood aside, Reed says his survey puts him in a statistical tie with Borders, 19 to 16 percent, and shows the two African-American candidates with near-equal shares of the black vote.
But there is more to this “black mayor first” memo than nervousness over a few polls, or worry over Atlanta’s shifting demographics.
Reed, the candidate placed most in peril by the memo, twice acted as campaign manager for Franklin. The two are close, but the current mayor has made no formal endorsement. Even so, the authors of the memo go out of their way to cast doubt on Franklin’s ability to put her imprint on the race.
“To ignore the alienation that exists among black voters towards the Franklin administration’s performance is naive at best and dishonest at worse,” the analysis says.
This brings us back to that Friday phone call from the mayor. Franklin wouldn’t talk about an endorsement in the ‘09 race. Nor would she discuss the portions of the memo directed at her.
What Franklin wanted to talk about was the effort by a group of African-Americans — size and membership remains ill-defined — to define Atlanta’s first black mayor, who has been dead these six years.
“The memo clearly characterizes the historic election of Maynard Jackson as if it was an election of blacks over whites,” Franklin said. Yes, the mayor said, Jackson understood the importance of his achievement.
But to treat him as a “black Messiah,” Franklin emphasized, is to ignore Jackson’s belief “that every segment of this community ought to participate in the development of public policy.” Jackson was about inclusion, not exclusion, she said.
“To reduce Maynard’s legacy to a political machine is to not know Maynard Jackson. That’s trite,” she said. And “crazy, bigoted literature” that rises up from such a flawed assumption will be flawed throughout, the mayor noted.
As for the Black Leadership Forum’s concern over the outcome of a runoff for mayor of Atlanta, and the fear of multiple African-American candidates in this year’s mayoral race: Runoffs have been more the rule than the exception in Atlanta politics, Franklin said.
That’s the path that Jackson and Andrew Young followed to City Hall. Bill Campbell, too, was forced into a runoff to secure a second term, by Council President Marvin Arrington, an African-American.
History is one of the world’s most powerful forces. And at the very bottom of so many political contests is the matter of who will control the biographies of those who have gone before us.
It has come to that in the Atlanta mayoral race: What Would Maynard Do?
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435 comments Add your comment
ean in nc
August 31st, 2009
12:57 pm
these are the same people who don’t think twice about publishing and distributing The Black Pages – a phone book with only Black businesses – absolutely racist.
Statue of Liberty and Justice for All
August 31st, 2009
1:02 pm
Well, if justice is for all then certainly the it must be ringing forth on historic Auburn Avenue. I will be casting my vote for Mary Norwood or Kasim Reed. As I hear and review the candidates objectives and goals for Atlanta, I do not believe that Lisa Borders has the best interest of all Atlantans. I sense that she will perpetuate her agenda and that of her friends, associates and family over and above the residents of Atlanta for her personal wealth and fame.
I witnessed a wooden platform established in a rush outside of Wheat Street Towers Senior Center a few weeks ago that was supposely sponsorded by metro Atlanta clergy men and women to show their support to Borders. It was held outside in the weltering heat of 90 degrees and residents from Wheat Street Towers were unaware of what was taking place on the outside. Morders announces that ther grandfather built Wheat Street Towers and he would have wanted her to make the announcement of her candidacy on the grounds of Wheat Street Towers. This building that was built over 38 yers ago has never had any renovation done on the infrastructure. There have been reported floods in the building as of September 2008 and thereafter. There have been an alarming rate of reported illnesses from airborne asbestos in the building, mold, mildew, black mold and fungus. The water is turned off an average of 10 time per month due to mechanical failure or pipe failures. The crime rate inside of the building is so alarming that the management company had to bring in the Atlanta police department on site. There is a change of management companies every three years and they continue to get worse and worse with the current one as probably the lowest. If you look high enough on top of the building is a tower placed on the inferior roof and the Borders families profits ffrom the cell phone company that installed this tower that reeks and emits radiactive material in the bodies of the senior residents.
I agree with Lisa Borders that her grandfather built Wheat Street Towers and was proud of that accomplishement. I feel that if Rev. Borders was alive today, he would be embarassed of the presence of his beloved Wheat Street Towers on historic Auburn Avenue.
Impress the great city of Atlanta by bringing the crown jewel known as Wheat Street Towers back to its opulent days of glory where we were proud to live at Wheat Street Towers. Because of the conditions known to occur in and around Wheat Street Towers, the person known as Lisa Borders needs to address that immediately and the candidate needs to make it her top priority to address the ills of Wheat Street Towers if there is any truth to the rhetoric that she touts in her sppeches that she wants to do great things for Atlanta, why not start at your grandfathers foundation.
Tray
August 31st, 2009
1:02 pm
Blacks have it easier than whites now, nice try.
What discriminations currently exist? Is there anything a WHITE MAN CAN DO THAT A BLACK CAN’T?? I need an example!
I can list something a BLACK MAN CAN DO THAT A WHITE MAN CAN’T-they can go to college on the United Negro College Fund!
WHERE’S THE DISCRIMINATION???(toward blacks, cuz i see it towards whites)
Let me save you some time. ANYTHING you list that a white can do that a black can’t is a lie, just call Sharpton and Jackson and you’ll be able to do it! So, discrimination NO LONGER EXISTS TOWARDS BLACKS, hell, you got a president, is that not enough proof that you can do whatever as long as you apply yourself. OH, wait, that’s why blacks get thte short stick-Most don’t apply themselves!
James
August 31st, 2009
1:03 pm
Stand Up White America!
Nick
August 31st, 2009
1:08 pm
If there is one thing that this string of comments has made apparent, it’s that many folks from Atlanta (and the surrounding metro area) would rather play the blame game than deal the hard problems. It’s easier to judge the performance of previous administrations (both before and after Maynard Jackson) on race than confront the issues of poverty, crime, and corruption. We’re so busy arguing about who gets the captain the ship, that we’ve failed to notice the iceberg.
But a bad politician is still a bad politician, regardless of skin color. If things are bad in Atlanta, then it is the fault of the current administration. Blaming it on the political leadership from 30 years ago or a hundred years ago is irrelevant.
For those of you who can’t past the idea of a mayor’s skin color, I suggest you elect someone with an Asian background. Our national debt already exceeds $13 trillion dollars overseas and nearly 82% of all products we consume are already manufactured in Asia. We might as well hand them the keys to the car they already own. Let someone else run the city into the ground for a while…
Ali
August 31st, 2009
1:14 pm
Enter your comments here
Ali
August 31st, 2009
1:17 pm
I wanted to share this so that folk will be clear: this is not for dramatic effect. There are numbers of groups who are actively recruiting to commit serious acts of violence against there fellow citizens purely on the basis of color. It is a naive notion to believe that racism no longer exist….
More and more members of the “mainstream” veterans groups, the ones that run posts serving alcohol, are contacting me about the racist diatribes they hear everyday.
Any honest American is aware of our history, a divisive one, and how far we have progressed. However, with our first African American Commander in Chief, we are seeing an explosion of extreme racist behavior at posts run by the American Legion and other groups.
Why isn’t this being addressed at a national level? Why are members who are offended, afraid to speak openly? How widespread is this? From what we are told, very. How serious is the behavior? From reliable reports, incidents of racism go from continual references to our “N” president to as extreme as can be imagined, perhaps to the point of constituting actionable threats.
The movement is not only these “conservative” veterans groups but actually within “conservative” sectors of the active duty military as well with sites like http://www.newsaxon.org and racist personal webpages springing up daily.
Were this kind of talk coming from a group standing outside a feed store in Kansas and not from a group mandated by Congress to represent veterans, it wouldn’t be as serious. That national organizations tasked with representing veterans, millions of whom are not “white”, are unwilling or unable to address a growing pattern of illegal behavior within their organizations is unacceptable in this day and age.
Ray
August 31st, 2009
1:20 pm
Atlanta is 57 percent black and 36 percent white. The ATL is a black city as far as population goes. As far as wealth and business, well, sadly the number skew towards the white folks. A city is only as good as the business that supports it. I want a white mayor and white city servants because it is white money that runs this city. Why do you think Buckhead wants to leave the city? It’s about money. I wish this was not an issue, but when a mayor is beholden to a racial majority and not business, which is the case in Atlanta, then something will suffer. To think that a white candidate could walk into a black church that has supported black candidates for 30 years and walk away with any support in nonsense. This city votes its color. It is time to vote for who holds the money.
JB
August 31st, 2009
1:31 pm
I agree that we need to keep our eye on these extremists groups who are preaching hate not only against blacks but anyone who believes in equality for all. We are hearing about them more now because we do have a black leader, however, what are we going to do in our own neighborhoods where blacks are killing each other. I am confident to say that I believe more black people kill other black people more often that these “crazies” kill black people. We are our own worst enemy. Why aren’t our black leaders denouncing the crime we committ on each other and marching in our own neighborhoods.
Ali
August 31st, 2009
1:32 pm
I am providing these links if permissible in order to let folk know that violent and hateful racism is still virulent an active. Perhaps, this is the reason that Jewish groups, Hispanic groups, African-American groups and other ethnic communities feel they have to look out for their interest in this society.
http://www.splcenter.org/images/dynamic/main/The_Second_Wave.pdf
the following came from:
http://www.veteranstoday.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7873
More and more members of the “mainstream” veterans groups, the ones that run posts serving alcohol, are contacting me about the racist diatribes they hear everyday.
Any honest American is aware of our history, a divisive one, and how far we have progressed. However, with our first African American Commander in Chief, we are seeing an explosion of extreme racist behavior at posts run by the American Legion and other groups.
Why isn’t this being addressed at a national level? Why are members who are offended, afraid to speak openly? How widespread is this? From what we are told, very. How serious is the behavior? From reliable reports, incidents of racism go from continual references to our “N” president to as extreme as can be imagined, perhaps to the point of constituting actionable threats.
The movement is not only these “conservative” veterans groups but actually within “conservative” sectors of the active duty military as well with sites like http://www.newsaxon.org and racist personal webpages springing up daily.
Were this kind of talk coming from a group standing outside a feed store in Kansas and not from a group mandated by Congress to represent veterans, it wouldn’t be as serious. That national organizations tasked with representing veterans, millions of whom are not “white”, are unwilling or unable to address a growing pattern of illegal behavior within their organizations is unacceptable in this day and age.
Tiffani
August 31st, 2009
1:34 pm
Ok Atlanta…(whew!)…first, some people are posting stuff just to make others react. You have no way of knowing the race of a person just from the comments posted. Secondly, why don’t we all stop focusing on the race or nationality of people and just focus on who the most educated, best qualified, most intelligent candidate is in all elections. Personally, I feel that there are several good candidates in the mayor’s race, but I intend to vote for Mary Norwood. She has the best ideas and is the most organized. I think she will hit the ground running…and…whether you believe it or not…I am African American. Race matters not. I want the best for this city and for my children. And as for this Black Agenda memo…there are racist people of every shade…but not all members of a race feel this way. Stop blaming the ugliness of a few on the many.
Ali
August 31st, 2009
1:34 pm
sorry about the double post
Kevin
August 31st, 2009
1:40 pm
I’ve lived in the city for eight years, and I’ve watched the quality of life go steadily downhill. And I do mean steadily.
The city can’t even balance its own books. That reprehensible, and completely unacceptable.
For the sake of demographics, I’m 38, white, well educated, dual-income, no kids. I don’t ask much for the city in return for the enormous property taxes I pay. And I’ve absolutely had all I can stand with the string of administrations that have raped the city.
So, yes, I’m voting for change. I don’t care if the opposition candidate was Indian, Russian, or Chinese. My only voting criteria is the candidate is smart and he/she has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the last 35 years of governance.
To quote the Joker, this town needs an enema . . . to relieve the past 35 years of constipation.
AJC Management
August 31st, 2009
1:45 pm
We should release the names of members of this group.
InTownGal
August 31st, 2009
1:47 pm
This memo is disgraceful and just plain crazy!!!
I’ve lived in town for 10 years, and have loved it—until recently. Crime is more prevalent than ever, services are virtually nonexistant, the city doesn’t even repair sidewalks, all while property taxes were voted to go up AGAIN (30306 has one of the highest tax brackets in the state). I’m TIRED OF IT!!!
It is no surprise that those who voted for the rise in prop taxes are those who represent lower income areas and they are councilperson(s) Smith, Young, Archibong, Fauver, Moore, Martin, Sheperd, and Mitchell Those who voted against the rise in property taxe were: Hall, Winslow, Shook, Muller, Maddox, Norwood, and Willis. Keep these names in mind during reelection! The fact that the African American constituency can still cry racism in a city that has had a black mayor (for over 35 years) black city council persons, black police chiefs, etc. really gives me the giggles.
If you are black in Atlanta and you can’t “make it” then you can’t make it anywhere baby!!!! They don’t call it the black mecca for nothin’
GO MARY!!!!
CP
August 31st, 2009
1:58 pm
Enter your comments here
I don’t understand the refrence to a white or black candidates. Aren’t we suppose to be equals as candidates? Everyone needs to stop making a racial issue out of everything and let the people vote for who WE think might do the best job……
Owl Gore
August 31st, 2009
2:12 pm
Why do Democrats play the race card? When Obama played it in with the belligerent Harvard professor (Skip Gates) case, his numbers on HealthCare and his overall approval tanked. Normal Americans are sick of the race card.
JB
August 31st, 2009
2:16 pm
InTownGal — just so you know, you’re right, the city does not repair the sidewalks if it is on private property, they lay the sidewalks but it is the responsibility of the property owner to keep them maintained. If one in front of your home is damaged and someone trips and hurts themselves you can be held responsible.
Linda
August 31st, 2009
2:18 pm
If the AJC had any kind of journalistic integrity it would do a series on the 2-Ton Elephant in the middle of the Atlanta living room, BLACK RACISM. I have lived here 15 years and have seen many instances of discrimination against whites by blacks.
The word is also getting out that Atlanta is becoming the Detroit of the South and this will hamper growth. Everywhere I go outside of Atlanta I meet black people who consider this town the “black mecca” (Blacklanta). New slogan: “Atlanta, It’s Not For White Folks Any More!”
I talked with a white female executive recently who was considering a move to Atlanta and I told her she was the wrong color to advance her career here. She said, “Linda, my black executive friends have also told me that.”
This black racism, unless recognized and dealt with as severely as white racism, will turn this town into a ghost town for the coming generation. A town that discriminates against whites is a town with no rights!
J.S
August 31st, 2009
2:20 pm
Herman Cain for mayor, A black republican candidate that everone can support.
cjamesatl
August 31st, 2009
2:21 pm
Mayor Franklin wouldn’t look so bad if her administration would just do their jobs. Sure, the person at the top has ultimate responsibility, but you need to drill deeper into ‘the system’ to find the real problems. An overbloated payroll of ‘civil’ workers in jobs where there is no accountability for their lack of job performance. Just try calling any city department to get an answer for something, and all you get bounced from one person to the next, then ultimately back to the first person you started with.
I see police officers who are paid to protect and serve, consistently violating traffic laws themselves, and not actively enforcing the law.
I see 12 workmen standing around a pothole, while two others actually do the work.
Need I go on?
Tray
August 31st, 2009
2:21 pm
@Tiffani and evryone else who wonders why ‘we can’t just pick the best for the job, regardless of race…’
The answer to that question is quite clear. Deep down inside, where the ugly truth lies and we all want to ignore it, in that little part that really knows the facts…
If we vote for the ‘best’ candidate, it will be the white one, sorry, but true. Now, how can you vote for the best, and NOT be called a racist…? Remember, if you vote for the best, and they happen to be white, you’re a racist-it’s that simple.
So to answer your question, i vote by race, because i vote for who is best (in this scenario). unfortunately the other side will see it as racism, because it’s either their way, or the highway, which sounds like the Democrats way was well.
Where has the last so many years under BLACK leadership gotten us?? NO WHERE!
Stu Dio
August 31st, 2009
2:31 pm
I’ve been looking for gainful employment since 2006. I guess I’m the wrong color and I don’t have breasts. And until I darken and get hormone injections I won’t be able to get a job in this town.
I love Atlanta
August 31st, 2009
2:34 pm
I am sick of this crap. This is BS. I am going to vote for Norwood for sure now! Good job Turpeau, you have only rallied the white people to really go back up Norwood now.
If this were a white person that distributed this memo about having a “white agenda” all hell would break loose. I am tired of this “I’m black” double standard. It’s time that people just equalize darnit. This is crap. These black people saying this crap need to wake up and realize the civil rights movement was 50 years ago. Blacks have more rights than white people in Atlanta now and some are still not happy.
Hell, I am a white student who can’t even qualify for 90% of the scholarships because I am not a minority, well neither are blacks in Atlanta so why are they eligible. My family is more broke than most of their families….UGH screw people like you TURPEAU! You are the racist one and those at CLARK ATLANTA!!!!!!!!
GO VOTE NORWOOD, I HAVE CONVINCED 47 PEOPLE SO FAR AND I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL SHE IS IN OFFICE AND THERE IS NO “AGENDA” BASED ON COLOR!
InTownGal
August 31st, 2009
2:37 pm
JB,
yes, I know. When we moved in to our home within the City of Atlanta 3.5 years ago we had the sidewalk replaced at our own expense as it was impassable. We are still trying to renovate the house along with paying around 5,500 in property taxes! We have yet to get our 2009 property tax bills as the morons can easily vote to raise it, but not calculate it.
Although I love living in the city, the benefits are not outweighing the expense. Many of my neighbors are saying the same thing. People are tired of being weighed down and paying for others who do not pull their own weight within the city limits. People who you want to stay in the city will leave b/c either they are just over it, or simply can’t afford it. Look at Sandy Springs, Milton and now Buckhead.
I don’t mind paying my fair share to be a citizen and participate, but my “fair share” is more than what I’m comfortable with at this time. It is time for a change at city hall. If the economy were better, a for sale sign would adorn my front stoop.
Uncle Tom
August 31st, 2009
2:44 pm
I suppose I too can divulge from the ACTUAL subject of this whole article and talk about what seems to be on people’s minds-racial equality. One thing I notice being in my late twenties is the fact that it seems as if people older than my age group (let’s say 40+), don’t seem to think much of the “disparity” between certain groups of color.
To “Tray”: “Blacks are incapable about caring for others who are not black. They have an agenda-never listen to, work for, or be friends with ‘the white man’”
Well, I’m sorry to say but most folk my color (I’ll let you guess) care for not only people of the same skin tone, but other ethnic groups as well. Besides, I don’t care what color a person is, if I despise the person I despise the person, not the color of their face. As far as your depiction of Black people not ‘wanting to work for the white man’, well unfortunately most people have no choice. It just so happens-through whatever acts of mankind-that MOST companies are owned by individuals who have, let’s say, a pale skin tone. But alas, those who are set in their ways seldom change…
Union Worker
August 31st, 2009
2:47 pm
I will be voting for Norwood. I always support the “party,” but this is too much. STOP PLAYING THE RACE CARD!!!!
Uncle Tom
August 31st, 2009
2:47 pm
Sorry, I meant to say “take a detour” from the ACTUAL subject…
Tray
August 31st, 2009
2:52 pm
Those set in their ways seldom change…hmmm…wonder what way i am set in. Oh, i must hate blacks because i am racist!
Uncle Tom and others-I had no scars of racism until I moved to Georgia! I only began disliking blacks when i was treated like crap by them FIRST! THAT IS THE PROBLEM OF MY GENERATION!
I am 30 and owe all of my hatred of other races to the blacks in Georgia. Maybe if i wasn’t treated like butt by them first, i’d feel different. But alas, BLACKS IN ATLANTA HAVE LIVED UP TO THE STEREOTYPES THAT ACCOMPANY THEM! If they want people to think differently about them, ACT DIFFERENTLY!
Bozo
August 31st, 2009
2:54 pm
Black, white, brown, purple – it ain’t about the color folks, it’s all about the money – the have’s and the have not’s!!
WOW
August 31st, 2009
3:02 pm
As a non black/white amamazed to read some of the posts.
JB
August 31st, 2009
3:10 pm
InTownGal,
I hear you. I live Intown also (Fulton Co.) and pay a bundle in taxes but can’t seem to find a road where I’m not dodging huge potholes all the time. We need change in our local govt.!!!
Jose Gonzalez
August 31st, 2009
3:12 pm
Dont worry…..we Mexicans will be taking over really soon. We breed like rabbits and do not contribute anything back to society. We have already passed blacks as the #1 minority. But soon we will replace whites. America is great. We sneak in and have babies and the American taxpayer foots the bill. Plus we send most of our money back to Mexico so its a win-win for Mexicans. Suckers………
AJC Management
August 31st, 2009
3:18 pm
The blacks hate the mexicans. Isn’t that strange. A group that has suffered racism is now racist themselves against another minority group. Spectacular.
Native Atlantan
August 31st, 2009
3:21 pm
Having grown up in the downtown area, for several decades, I have witnessed the transition in Atlanta government from majority white to majority black. Many of the higher level, long time black City of Atlanta employees got their jobs via the quota system of having each department contain a certain percentage of blacks. Some were promoted to Fire Chiefs or Police Captains after only being on the department 3 years. Test scores for promotion weren’t even considered. Now the City has become a work program for blacks and they have no accountability. No one there ever answers their phones. Always goes to voice mail and never get a call back. That is why all the blacks are so worried about having a white mayor take over the city government. With the quota system gone, maybe the most qualified people can get the jobs.
JB
August 31st, 2009
3:23 pm
We as taxpayers need to hire an outside auditor to come in and audit the city books. We would find so much waste in spending it would make us ill to think about it. Shame on Shirley for not doing this before taking the easy way out…..raising taxes. She is more concerned with her own agenda than the city of Atlanta.
Corey
August 31st, 2009
3:30 pm
Tray, the United Negro College Fund is for the schools so that they may remain financially solvent, not individuals. If the Unitied Negro College Fund worked the way you think it works then I would not have gone into debt to enroll in the University of South Carolina back in the seventies. I’ll be glad to enlighten you on black history if you wish to learn. By the way, the UNCF is from private donations – not your precious tax dollars.
Uncle Tom
August 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
LOL @ “Mexicans taking over.” That’s probably a very true analogy, but I show respect for them just like I would any other nationality.
@ Tray once again: I’m only a couple of years younger than you are and am sorry to hear (or rather read) that you feel that way toward an entire race just because of the perceived treatment some have given you in the past. I’m sure if we met in person and sat down over a few cups of Earl Grey (or Darjeerling) tea and talked things over, I could change the way you felt about us.
not surprised
August 31st, 2009
3:33 pm
I’m not a bit surprised. I work for a federal law enforcement agency where some managers keep a spreadsheet named “black agents”. They have little meetings at each other’s homes and conspire to help the people on that list get ahead. Affirmative action? More like the racism they are so quick to accuse everyone else of.
Been here too long!
August 31st, 2009
3:36 pm
I say publicly identify these CAU people and then fire them from their government jobs!
JB
August 31st, 2009
3:50 pm
http://johnlewis.house.gov/
Contact Congressman John Lewis with your complaint.
I’m curious to see if he’ll even acknowledge this racist act.
Change
August 31st, 2009
3:51 pm
African-Americans need to keep voting for other African-Americans, since the system is biased against minorities! The white power structure is constantly attempting to keep the minorities down, so they can keep getting richer! Change is here and must continue–the struggle is still on!!!!
Tombigbee
August 31st, 2009
3:54 pm
**“I think it was bigoted,” Franklin said**
Who would have ever known?
InTownGal
August 31st, 2009
3:58 pm
JB & Others,
We need financial accountability at City Hall! Mary Norwood has called for external auditors to review the books which she freely admits have gone unchecked for years. She is in favor of 100% transparency–let’s hope this is not an empty campaign promiss though.
Go to: http://www.marynorwoodformayor.com
She also has a facebook page, is on twitter, etc. If she would privatize the airport (which would bring in millions) she would surely have my vote. Would love it if Herman Cain would run OR Clark Howard!
Shaniqua Alize Jenkins
August 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
If the media is soooo biased toward blacks, and if there would have been hellfire if the memo came from whites (which I’m not entirely convinced it didn’t) then why does this continue to be overlooked?
http://www.google.com/search?q=great+white+hope+blunder&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS276US278
Summer Love
August 31st, 2009
4:08 pm
Shaniqua,
I am able to see the headlines but unable to see any of the articles’ links. It appears that they’ve all been removed. Hmmm, gee I wonder why?
Allan
August 31st, 2009
4:08 pm
GaTecherrorist said, “and they expect ONE to run the country? obama = One Big A$$ Mistake America” I also say that and Bush & Cheney was a Big A$$ Mistake! McCain & Palin (psycho-babble) is another Big A$$ Mistake!
Tombigbee
August 31st, 2009
4:16 pm
You white folks just crack me up—move into a black city and try to take over. Power struggles are ugly–get used to it. Welcome to the Dirty South.
Tom
Glad Not Living IN ATL
August 31st, 2009
4:17 pm
After decades of racism agains people of lighter skin, why would the city and Fulton county suddently stop that practice? It’s quite evident this form of racism has the city where it is now, 1/2 way down the tiolet.
Why would the voting public suddently get smarter about the idiots they chose to lead. As long as you keep dividing people by imaginary colors you will get the same results. Crimes such as robbery and Murder will increase, the city will continue to shrink, and its residents will reap what the have sewn.
I used to work in the city often in my business, now I turn down all business within its boundries. You can keep your murderous city, your leaders whose only qualifications are their dark skin, and everything thing else within it’s boundries and drag it with you down the sewer.
Rev. Al Sharpton Jackson Frakhan Bin AL-Skyhook
August 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
The mexican better stay out of the ATL. They need to go find their own city to shakedown and run into the ground. ATL is ours, baby.