Economic Development in Atlanta
Mayor Jackson Giving a Speech
Jackson sought investment in the city’s most disinvested neighborhoods. To encourage this, he was the founding chairman of the Atlanta Economic Development Corporation, one of the first public-private development corporations in the country. During his tenure Atlanta’s reputation as a mecca for the African American middle class grew, but not all were as enthusiastic about Atlanta’s fortunes. Many in the business community remained critical of Jackson’s administration.
“We have seen our city awaken from its role as a regional center of our nation’s surging southland to become a national leader among cities and an economically and politically important international center.”
—Second Inaugural Address, January 3, 1978
Vine City Community Development Project Invitation
West End Neighborhood Development Memo
MARTA Groundbreaking Ceremony
Julian Bond, David Scott, and Maynard Jackson
