General files

The First and second mayoral terms series documents Jackson’s ascension as the first African American mayor of Atlanta. Arranged in alphabetical order, this series chronicles Jackson’s political life between the years of 1973 and 1981. Notable achievements within this series include the formation of the city council, his efforts towards the revitalization of Atlanta’s neighborhoods, and mandating inclusion of Blacks in the city’s growing economic development. Major business deals Jackson oversaw include the construction of the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport – now named the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in his honor – and the expansion of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) bus system to rail. In addition to the high level of success Mayor Jackson garnered over his first and second terms, this series contains a subseries documenting world-wide responses to the tragic Atlanta Child Murders. Over 50 cities and states issued proclamations in reaction to the horrific murders of over 20 black children which occurred between the years of 1979 and 1981.