Maynard Jackson

Atlanta's first Black mayor, elected in 1973, Jackson insisted that minority-owned firms receive a share of contracts for the new Hartsfield airport terminal, delaying the project until the business establishment agreed; minority participation in city contracts rose from under 1 per cent to over a third. The model was copied by cities across the country. He also created neighbourhood planning units giving residents a formal role in zoning. Later court rulings narrowed race-conscious contracting programmes nationwide.