Joint Center Mourns Passing of Maynard Jackson Jr.

6/24/2003

From: Liselle Yorke of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 202-789-6366 or lyorke@jointcenter.org

WASHINGTON, June 24 -- The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies mourns the passing of former Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson Jr., who died yesterday. The first black mayor of a major Southern city, Jackson was a close friend of the Joint Center, which was founded to assist newly-elected black politicians only three years before his historic victory.

"Although Carl Stokes in Cleveland and Richard Hatcher in Gary, Ind., were the first big city African American mayors, Maynard's election was electrifying because it happened in the South," said Eddie N. Williams, president of the Joint Center. "Today, Atlanta has its fourth black mayor and the South leads in the overall number of black elected officials. It's more than people hoped for back in 1973."

At its inception, the Joint Center's goal was to teach administrative functions to black political newcomers. While Jackson was no neophyte, having served as Atlanta's vice-mayor from 1969 to 1973, he was a prominent figure at Joint Center training sessions and workshops -- the only place where black politicians from across the country could regularly meet their counterparts.

Even after he left office, Jackson continued to be a strong supporter of the Joint Center and regularly participated in several events, including the quadrennial National Policy Institute, which was held in presidential election years to highlight key issues facing black voters.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, conducts research and analyses on public policy issues of concern to African Americans and other minorities, promotes their involvement in the governance process, and operates programs that create coalitions within the minority, business, and diverse communities. For more information, visit http://www.jointcenter.org.