So September has proved to add fire to the flame, with the race for mayor heating up in Atlanta. While most of you have already picked sides many of us are still divided on the issues, candidates, and what seems to be a trending topic... Race.
Front runners for the race include Lisa Borders (president of city council), Kasim Reed(senate), both whom are black and Mary Norwood(city councilwoman) who is white. Officials are projecting record breaking numbers in the polls simply because the race is heightened by race. As kooky as it sounds, they might be on to something. Take for example the presidential race '08. When given the opportunity to represent, Black Americans showed up in numbers! Hmm.
Since I can remember Atlanta has always been powered by successful African Americans. I grew up under Sam Massell and Maynard Jackson. Then there was Bill Campbell for two consecutive terms and now Mayor Shirley Franklin. Through the years I never thought there was a reason why I had only witnessed black mayors in office, I simply thought it was because they were the most popular and most qualified, of course. Am I naive to think in a city where race really doesn't matter it's okay for black atlantans to have the upper hand? Or am I naive to think race really doesn't matter anymore? Perhaps the issue never went away, but I mean c'mon city council is racially equally divided. And there are equally as many successful blacks as there are whites in the perimeter... Right? Let me know what you think, this discussion has just started.
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lol. I do agree with you miss bridges about the race factor. it's pretty bad that there are only large number of black voters and supporters of candidate only when they're black. Race has ALWAYS AND WILL ALWAYS be a factor in Atlanta. I also believe that this is not a trend, it is our culture and people here in Atlanta are scared of a change. just my two cents, and i know this is an old blog.... but just wanted to put my two cents in.
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