Borders or Norwood, a Matter of Black or White in Atlanta Mayoral Race

By hadmatter

Published: September 2, 2009

Controversial, yes. My story, no. However a story it is and it was started not by the area mixer Aaron Turpeau who made sure the memo, a three pager, made all the stops around Atlanta through email and blogs but by two Clark Atlanta University professors. Clark Atlanta is one of the more foremost black Universities in the nation if not the world.

An Atlanta Journal report published on 9/1 included; -The memo said that the best way for City Council President Lisa Borders to defeat the major white candidate — Councilwoman Mary Norwood — was to, “get out now and work in a manner to defeat her without a runoff.”

“She is the best candidate in the race who has a chance to win the election because she can attract downtown white support,” the memo said of Borders.

It went on to say that Sen. Kasim Reed, Jesse Spikes and Glenn Thomas, all black men, should drop out of the race in favor of Borders.

The names of the professors who authored the memo are William Boone and Keith Jennings. It is important to note Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and the three male candidates mentioned in the article and memo who are also black denounced the memo as bigoted and divisive.

Tagged with: atlanta, kasim reed, lisa borders, mary norwood, mayor, shirley franklin