On this day in 1938, Atlanta’s first Black mayor was born

On this day in 1938, Atlanta’s first Black mayor was born

On March 23, 1938, Atlanta’s first Black mayor, Maynard H. Jackson Jr., was born in Dallas, Texas. Jackson’s family moved to Atlanta in 1945 when his father accepted a job as pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church. He went on to attend Morehouse College through a special program and graduated at just 18.

Before his election as mayor, Jackson earned a J.D. from the Carolina Central University School of Law and worked as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. In 1969, Jackson was elected vice-mayor and, in 1973, he won the city’s mayoral race — making him the first African-American to hold the office and the first Black mayor of a southern city.

Jackson served two consecutive terms and was re-elected in 1990 for a third term.


Click ▶ to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

The post On this day in 1938, Atlanta’s first Black mayor was born appeared first on American Urban Radio Networks.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*