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Rename Atlanta's airport, panel is urged (History rewrite alert!)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Online ^ | 7/30/2003 | D.L. BENNETT

Posted on 07/30/2003 6:59:10 AM PDT by xrp

Maynard Jackson, Atlanta's first black mayor, cast a huge shadow Tuesday over his white predecessors as the campaign to rename Atlanta's airport developed into raw racial politics.

"This really shouldn't be about what the white business establishment would allow," said state Rep. "Able" Mable Thomas, a former Atlanta City Council member. "It's really what the strength of the African-American community will allow. What will we stand for? The real deal is we stood too long silent. Atlanta is being gentrified every day. So, while you do still have a majority, as Maynard would say, use the power you have today."

Some of the speakers during a two-hour public hearing at Atlanta City Hall used words like diversity and inclusiveness. But many refused to sugarcoat their sentiments.

Overwhelmingly, they said to remove the name of William B. Hartsfield and replace it with Jackson, creator of a landmark affirmative action program. Hartsfield, who served as mayor for two decades and championed Atlanta as an aviation center, was either forgotten or dismissed as a symbol of Atlanta's racist past.

Barry Ringold of Atlanta cut straight to the heart and urged the city's black mayor and majority-black council not to be afraid of representing black Atlanta.

"Do the right thing," Ringold said. "Stand up for the people that put you there."

Ivan Allen Jr., who spent eight years guiding Atlanta through the civil rights era, rated only passing mention during the first public hearing by the Atlanta Advisory Commission. The 17-member panel is charged with finding an appropriate way to honor Jackson and Allen, who both recently died. Another session is scheduled for Aug. 26.

The session drew an overwhelmingly black audience of about 75 people, including City Council members, state representatives and Jackson's widow, Valerie, and children who sat front and center. They didn't speak to the commission but applauded many of the speakers. About a third of the audience spoke.

Afterward Jackson said she was gratified to see that her husband had touched so many lives. She supports replacing Hartsfield's name at the airport.

"I thought this was a no-brainer," said John Evans. "People try to satisfy everybody. It can't happen. The City Council ought to stand tall and rename the airport Maynard Jackson International Airport."

Several speakers told the 17-member panel to disband and urged the City Council to act unilaterally and rename the airport to honor Jackson.

The session was an eye-opener for the advisory committee members who got a taste of Atlanta's racial politics and what's in store for them over the next few weeks as they head to making a recommendation in September.

A.D. "Pete" Correll, CEO of Georgia-Pacific, is co-chairing the panel.

"Nobody said this would be easy," Correll said, "but nobody said it would be this hard either."

Carey Duncan of Grant Park urged the combination name Hartsfield-Jackson.

"I urge you don't play the race card," Duncan said. "We are one race, the human race."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: atlanta; hartsfield; hartsfieldjackson; maynardjackson; racists; renaming
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To: Between the Lines
... the first black president of the US and be called Clintonia.

Now you've done it. If the jackasses on the Atlanta city council (which is all of them) hear about this, they'll probably do it.

21 posted on 07/30/2003 8:12:55 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your enemy, and Bush is no conservative)
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To: xrp
Robert E. Lee International Airport has a certain ring to it, yes?

And I've got a neat idea for the airport logo.

22 posted on 07/30/2003 8:19:10 AM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: xrp
I'd agree with a discontinuation of naming anything after any former or current politician AND leaving all current names the same.
23 posted on 07/30/2003 8:25:48 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: xrp
Where do I sign?I want to be"Disadvantaged"!Now to make it complete,the HYPOCRITE of HYPOCRITES(BeelzeBubba)will be invited to the re-dedication ceremonies to speak praises of the man that he denied leadership of The DemonRat National Committee in favor of his henchman,Terry McAwful!!!!!!!!
24 posted on 07/30/2003 8:32:47 AM PDT by bandleader
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To: robertpaulsen
Would that"Logo"idea of yours incorporate"The Stars and The Bars"?Just wondering!
25 posted on 07/30/2003 8:36:44 AM PDT by bandleader
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To: Teacher317
NO DUH!!!By the way,what did old Maynard die of?Did his wife have him on the same diet that Julianne Malveaux wanted Clarence Thomas's wife to put him on??
26 posted on 07/30/2003 8:39:09 AM PDT by bandleader
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To: xrp
So I guess the ultimate goal of these people is to have every major thing in GA named after a black person instead of a white person. Where is there diversity in that? Almost every city in GA has a street named after MLK, which I have no problem with. But when you start taking every little thing and want to change it to represent black instead of white, I have a problem. How about instead of going back and changing names of things already in place, try and get new things being built to be named after black heroes. They should be true heroes in black history though, not people like Kwezy Mfume. Sometimes it appears like they just want to take everything considered "white" changed to "black" and just erase whiteness altogether. People like those wanting to change the airport name and all the flags in various southern states are the ones causing racial devides.
27 posted on 07/30/2003 8:44:32 AM PDT by honeygrl
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To: bandleader
By the way,what did old Maynard die of

Heart attack brought on by terminal obesity - He hit 350+ at his max - had bypass surgery (strange, but it wasn't at Grady but at St Joseph's - the best private hospital in the Atlanta area) about 10 years ago, but apparently didn't heed nature's little warning signs. Heart attack #1 nature's way of telling you you'd better change your lifestyle.

28 posted on 07/30/2003 8:47:49 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your enemy, and Bush is no conservative)
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To: dwilli
"That makes no difference, the sign changing contracts are probably already in place."

This is a big, big business in Atlanta. Just in the last few years off the top of my head:

Hightower changed to HE Holmes

Ashby changed to Rev. Joseph Lowrey

West side of 285 called Billy McKinney Highway

East side of 285 called Cynthia McKinney Highway

I get nauseous whenever I pass by the last one.

29 posted on 07/30/2003 8:56:50 AM PDT by AngryJawa
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To: KellyAdmirer
"Hmmm, how about "Atlanta Airport"? "

Or if they feel they MUST change the name, "Atlanta International Airport" would be OK by me. My second choice would be "We Are Wussies Who Can't Stand Up To The Race Baiting Bullies International Airport." Third Choice, name it after a black Cuban hero. (not well educated on who the cuban heroes are though) Then it's named after a minority so they can't complain and if the NAACP or the Jackson guy want to challenge it, they'll outrage the Cubans even more and show everyone what jerks they really are. If they really wanted diversity, it wouldn't just be about including black names into everything, it would be about including all minorities. They seem to forget that they aren't the only minorities in the US. In many counties in Atlanta, they aren't even the minority. I'm farily certain several Atlanta counties have populations that are more than 50% black. Of course, I honestly don't think a name change is warranted at all. I think it should stay exactly the way it is. These people just want another racial issue to argue about.
30 posted on 07/30/2003 8:59:40 AM PDT by honeygrl
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To: xrp
I suppose the William T. Sherman Memorial Airport is out?
31 posted on 07/30/2003 9:05:20 AM PDT by Semper Paratus
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To: Tacis
ROTFLMAO
32 posted on 07/30/2003 9:38:34 AM PDT by y2k_free_radical (i)
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To: xrp
Exactly. Liberals' thinking is as messed up as everything else about them.
33 posted on 07/30/2003 9:40:27 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: xrp
I think roads, buildings, airports, etc. that are already named for someone, should not be "renamed." It defeats the purpose of first naming the object after someone. It is insulting. I don't care what I may accomplish in life, I don't want an honor taken away from someone else, to give it to me. It is stealing. JMO
34 posted on 07/30/2003 9:44:41 AM PDT by FreeAtlanta
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To: xrp
For anybody who has been through there in the last several years, the name "Hartsfield" is not one which is thought of kindly.

I'd only name that lowest level of hell after somebody I truly despised.

35 posted on 07/30/2003 9:46:33 AM PDT by Chancellor Palpatine (.....always remember that in any barnyard full of talking animals, sheep lie.....)
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To: honeygrl
Clarence Thomas Airport.
36 posted on 07/30/2003 9:50:40 AM PDT by justshutupandtakeit
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To: xrp
Overwhelmingly, they said to remove the name of William B. Hartsfield and replace it with Jackson, creator of a landmark affirmative action program. Hartsfield, who served as mayor for two decades and championed Atlanta as an aviation center, was either forgotten or dismissed as a symbol of Atlanta's racist past.

It takes a singularly tiny mind to fail to see the unintended consquences of willy-nilly renaming public facilities.

Yes, I have an opinion on this particularl incident, but that's irrelevant.

When sheer force of numbers or whimsy becomes the criterion, no name will last long ever again.

37 posted on 07/30/2003 9:52:12 AM PDT by Publius6961 (Californians are as dumm as a sack of rocks)
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To: justshutupandtakeit
I like it. It will drive the NAACLP bananas. They could get an exemption for Thomas like they got one for Reagan in Washington, D.C.
38 posted on 07/30/2003 9:52:19 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: justshutupandtakeit
They could name it Condi Rice International.
39 posted on 07/30/2003 11:16:04 AM PDT by honeygrl
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To: dead
Everything else in Atlanta is named Peach. Why not the airport?
40 posted on 07/30/2003 11:34:08 AM PDT by gcruse (http://gcruse.blogspot.com/)
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