Black Political Empowerment in Atlanta: Myth and Reality

Abstract

Much of the scholarly literature on black political life in the United States may be appropriately classified as atheoretical. This paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding black politics and assessing black power in America. The distinguishing characteristic of black political life is the subordination of blacks by whites and the concomitent institutionalized belief that white domination is a function of the inherent superiority of whites. Given this as a frame of reference, the evolution of black political power in Atlanta is traced. The discussion is divided into two periods, the first beginning in 1965 and extending to 1973, when Atlanta elected its first black mayor, and the second covering the first four years of the latter's incumbency.