10/16/2026
📜 Today in Georgia History – October 16, 1973
On October 16, 1973, Atlanta voters made history when they elected 35-year-old Maynard Holbrook Jackson Jr. as their city's first African American mayor. His victory also made him the first Black mayor of a major Southern city.
Although born in Dallas, Texas, in 1938, Jackson grew up in Atlanta, surrounded by a family that believed strongly in education, civil rights, and public service.
His grandfather was John Wesley Dobbs, the influential Auburn Avenue civic leader who helped organize Black voters across Georgia. His mother, Irene Dobbs Jackson, taught French at Spelman College and helped integrate Atlanta's public library system in 1959. His aunt, internationally acclaimed opera singer Mattiwilda Dobbs, broke racial barriers on some of the world's most prestigious stages.
Maynard was an exceptional student himself, entering Morehouse College at just 14 and graduating four years later.
His political career began with a long-shot campaign against U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge in 1968. Although Jackson lost the statewide race, he carried Atlanta and gained valuable recognition. The following year, voters elected him vice mayor.
Four years later, Jackson challenged incumbent Mayor Sam Massell. The campaign exposed deep racial divisions in Atlanta, but Jackson emerged victorious with nearly 60 percent of the vote.
As mayor, Jackson worked to open opportunities that had long been denied to African Americans. He increased Black representation in city government and the police department while establishing programs that dramatically expanded the number of municipal contracts awarded to minority-owned businesses.
One of his most visible achievements was overseeing construction of the enormous new midfield terminal at Hartsfield International Airport, which opened in 1980. The project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, helping establish Atlanta as a major international transportation center.
Jackson served three terms as mayor — from 1974 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1994. During his final term, he also helped prepare Atlanta to welcome the 1996 Olympic Games.
Following his death in 2003, the airport was renamed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in recognition of his contributions.
More than half a century after that historic election, millions of travelers passing through Atlanta still encounter the name of a man who helped change the city's political and economic landscape.
Georgia on My Mind curated by Lisa Land Cooper – Author and Historian
© 2026 Lisa Land Cooper – Author and Historian
