How Maynard Jackson Changed Atlanta: A Practical Guide to His Legacy in the City

If you live in Atlanta or are trying to understand how the city became what it is today, Maynard Jackson shows up everywhere – from the airport’s name to conversations about Black political power, neighborhoods, and economic opportunity.

Here’s what he actually did for Atlanta, and how his decisions still shape daily life in the city.

Who Was Maynard Jackson, and Why Does He Matter to Atlanta?

Maynard Jackson was the first Black mayor of Atlanta and one of the first Black mayors of a major Southern city.

He served three terms as mayor:

• 1974–1982
• 1990–1994

Jackson is widely associated with:

• Expanding and transforming Atlanta’s airport
• Opening up city contracts and opportunities to Black-owned and minority-owned businesses
• Strengthening Atlanta’s reputation as the unofficial “capital of the New South”
• Helping set the stage for Atlanta to host the 1996 Olympic Games

If you fly through Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, walk through downtown, or hear Atlanta called a hub for Black business and politics, you’re seeing his influence.

1. The Airport: Turning Atlanta into a Global Hub

Building the Modern Atlanta Airport

One of Jackson’s biggest achievements was pushing forward the massive expansion of Atlanta’s airport.

While airport planning started before his term, Jackson:

• Insisted on Atlanta building a world-class airport, not a modest upgrade
• Helped drive the creation of the Midfield Terminal design that allowed planes to park on multiple concourses connected by underground trains
• Oversaw construction and political negotiations that turned the airport into a model for other cities

Today, the airport is officially named Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, honoring both William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.

For someone living in or visiting Atlanta, this matters because:

• The airport supports local jobs, from airline workers to concessions and logistics
• It keeps Atlanta well-connected to domestic and international destinations
• It attracts businesses that want easy air access, supporting growth in areas like Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, and the Perimeter

Using the Airport to Expand Economic Opportunity

Jackson didn’t just build a bigger airport; he used it as a tool to open up economic access.

Under his leadership:

• The city required that a significant share of airport contracts go to Black-owned and minority-owned businesses
• New vendors, contractors, and service providers from diverse backgrounds gained access to airport projects that previously went to a small group of established firms

If you’re exploring how business works in Atlanta today, this legacy shows up in:

• The strong presence of minority-owned firms in construction, concessions, and professional services
• The expectation that large city-backed projects will include supplier diversity goals

2. Opening City Contracts to Minority-Owned and Local Businesses

The “Atlanta Way” of Sharing Economic Power

Before Jackson, city contracts for construction, services, and procurement typically went to a relatively small circle of companies.

Jackson pushed for what many in Atlanta refer to as a more inclusive “Atlanta Way”:

• He put policies in place that set goals for including Black-owned and minority-owned businesses in city contracts
• He used the city’s purchasing power to encourage broader participation in Atlanta’s growing economy

If you’re a small or minority-owned business owner in Atlanta today, the systems you use to:

• Register as a city vendor
• Bid on city contracts
• Get certified for minority or female-owned business programs

are built on a foundation that Jackson helped create.

Where This Shows Up in Today’s City Government

Residents and business owners can see this legacy in how Atlanta handles:

• Department of Procurement processes at Atlanta City Hall (55 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303)
• Equal Business Opportunity efforts that promote fair access to contracts
• Requirements for disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) participation on major infrastructure projects

If you’re considering doing business with the city, Jackson’s policies are one reason Atlanta has a long-standing culture of discussing fair participation and inclusive contracting.

3. Advancing Black Political Power and Civic Representation

First Black Mayor of Atlanta

When Jackson was elected in 1973, Atlanta became one of the first major Southern cities with a Black mayor.

This changed Atlanta politics by:

• Giving Black residents direct representation in the mayor’s office
• Encouraging more Black Atlantans to vote, run for office, and serve in government
• Helping build a generation of Black political, business, and civic leaders

If you look at Atlanta today—with Black mayors, council members, judges, school board members, and county officials—you’re seeing a path that Jackson helped open.

Shaping Atlanta’s Identity as a Black Cultural and Political Center

Jackson’s leadership contributed to Atlanta’s reputation as:

• A center of Black middle-class and upper-middle-class life
• A destination for Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and students from across the country
• A place where civil rights history connects directly to modern politics and city-building

For anyone moving to Atlanta, especially from other regions, this helps explain why neighborhoods like Southwest Atlanta, Cascade, and parts of DeKalb County developed strong Black professional communities.

4. Managing Growth, Tension, and Change in the City

Balancing Business Interests and Community Needs

Jackson’s time in office included real tensions:

• Business leaders sometimes pushed for rapid growth with fewer restrictions
• Community leaders and civil rights advocates pushed for equity, opportunity, and neighborhood protection

Jackson often tried to balance:

• Downtown development with community concerns
• Support for major employers with demands for local hiring and fair treatment
• Building Atlanta’s national profile with preserving its local character

Residents today see the echoes of these debates in:

• Ongoing discussions about gentrification, displacement, and housing affordability
• Conversations around projects like stadium developments, BeltLine-adjacent growth, and major transportation upgrades

Setting the Stage for the Olympics and Future Development

While Jackson was not mayor when the 1996 Olympic Games were held, his earlier leadership helped:

• Enhance Atlanta’s national and global reputation
• Build infrastructure, such as the expanded airport and improved facilities, that made Atlanta more attractive as a host city
• Promote Atlanta as a city capable of managing large-scale projects and international attention

If you’ve ever visited Centennial Olympic Park, walked through Downtown near Peachtree Street, or attended events in that area, you’re experiencing a city shaped partly by groundwork laid during Jackson’s administrations.

5. Key Ways Maynard Jackson’s Legacy Still Affects Daily Life in Atlanta

Here’s a simple snapshot of how his decisions show up around the city:

6. Places in Atlanta Where You Can See or Learn About His Impact

If you’re in Atlanta and want to connect more personally with Maynard Jackson’s legacy, here are some meaningful locations:

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport

• What it is: The airport co-named in his honor
• Where: 6000 N Terminal Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30320
• Why it matters: The design, scale, and global role of the airport reflect Jackson’s vision of Atlanta as an international city and his push for inclusive contracting at a massive scale

Atlanta City Hall

• Where: 55 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
• Why it matters: The city government structure, procurement practices, and focus on inclusion reflect reforms and policies grounded in Jackson’s era

Neighborhoods and Community Spaces

While there isn’t just one “Maynard Jackson neighborhood,” his influence is felt in:

• Historically Black areas such as parts of Southwest Atlanta, Cascade Road, and West End, where civic engagement and political participation have deep roots
• Civic conversations around development in areas like Downtown, Midtown, and Mechanicsville, where concerns about equity echo debates from his time in office

Maynard H. Jackson High School

• Where: 801 Glenwood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
• Why it matters: The school name recognizes his influence on education, leadership, and opportunity for future generations of Atlantans

7. Why Maynard Jackson Still Matters If You Live in or Visit Atlanta

For residents:

• Your airport, your local government contracting rules, and much of Atlanta’s political culture were shaped in large part by his leadership
• The presence of Black leadership and Black-owned businesses in visible, influential spaces owes a great deal to the doors he helped open

For visitors:

• When you land at Hartsfield–Jackson, pass through a diverse, thriving city, and see Atlanta marketed as a global, inclusive hub, you’re experiencing a place that Jackson helped define.

In simple terms, Maynard Jackson helped turn Atlanta into the modern, globally connected, and politically influential city it is today, while pushing hard to ensure that more Atlantans—especially Black residents—could share in that growth.