Atlanta Councilwoman Mary Norwood could very likely become Atlanta’s next Mayor. This may not normally be considered newsworthy, except that Mary Norwood happens to be white.
Tomorrow, Atlanta residents will flock to the polls to elect a new Mayor. This elite southern city has grown into a post-civil rights emblem of African-American political power, having been governed for decades by African-American Mayors, including Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson, and current Mayor Shirley Franklin. But the very thought that Atlanta could potentially have a white mayor for the first time in a generation, has some in the black community scrambling to hold on to City Hall.
Other candidates in tomorrow’s contest include City Council President Lisa Borders and state Sen. Kasim Reed, both of whom are black. But a racially charged e-mail circulated by a black leadership group calling for Norwood’s defeat has some in the community seeing red. The email has called on either Lisa Borders or Kasim Reed to drop out of the race so as to not split the African-American vote, where the group believes Norwood could benefit. “Blacks do not return to the polls in a runoff, historically,” said Clark Atlanta University political science professor William Boone. “It’s going to be very interesting. This is the election that some folks had talked about was coming.”
When Atlanta elected Maynard Jackson its first black mayor in 1973, his election solidified the voting power of urban blacks, and the city has elected black mayors ever since. Although blacks have been the majority population and voting bloc in the city for decades, the demographics have changed in recent years, which gives Mary Norwood a rare opportunity to wrest control of City Hall. “Blacks may no longer feel obligated to elect a black mayor, Boone said. “You have a young generation of blacks — not native to Atlanta — who don’t necessarily see that as something that has to happen. They may be staking their vote on matters more critical than race.”
As of 2008, Atlanta city had an estimated population of 537,958. As per the 2005–2007 American Community Survey the racial make-up of Atlanta’s population is as follows:Blacks or African Americans made up 56.8% of Atlanta's population; of which 56.4% were non-Hispanic blacks. White Americans made up 37.7%; of which 35.7% were non-Hispanic whites. American Indians made up 0.2% of the city's population; of which 0.1% were non-Hispanic. Asian Americans made up 1.9% of the city's population. Pacific Islander Americans made up less than 0.1% of the city's population. Individuals from some other race made up 2.3% of the city's population; of which 0.2% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races made up 1.1% of the city's population; of which 1.0% were non-Hispanic. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos made up 4.7% of Atlanta's population.Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta#Demographicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta#Demographics… />The U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts” for Atlanta’s 2006 show demo numbers close to… Read more »