Race and the shaping of twentieth-century Atlanta

Atlanta is often cited as a prime example of a progressive New South metropolis in which blacks and whites have forged "a city too busy to hate." But Ronald Bayor argues that the city continues to bear the indelible mark of racial bias. Offering the first comprehensive history of Atlanta race relations, he discusses the impact of race on the physical and institutional development of the city from the end of the Civil War through the mayorship of Andrew Young in the 1980s. Bayor shows the extent of inequality, investigates the gap between rhetoric and reality, and presents a fresh analysis of the legacy of segregation and race relations for the American urban environment. Bayor explores frequently ignored public policy issues through the lens of race--including hospital care, highway placement and development, police and fire services, schools, and park use, as well as housing patterns and employment. He finds that racial concerns profoundly shaped Atlanta, as they did other American cities. Drawing on oral interviews and written records, Bayor traces how Atlanta's black leaders and their community have responded to the impact of race on local urban development. By bringing long-term urban development into a discussion of race, Bayor provides an element missing in usual analyses of cities and race relations. The Racial Setting -- A Voteless People Is A Helpless People: Politics And Race -- City Building And Racial Patterns -- Race, Jobs And Atlanta's Economy -- Where The Sidewalk Ends: Urban Services And Race -- Separate And Unequal: Atlanta's Public Schools To 1954 -- Desegregation And Resegregation: Atlanta's Schools After 1954 -- On Race And Cities. Ronald H. Bayor. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 307-319) And Index. Atlanta is cited as a New South metropolis in which blacks and whites have created ""A city too busy to hate."" But the author argues that the city continues the bear the mark of racial bias. He discusses the development of the city from the Civil War to Andrew Young's mayorship in the 1980s. The author of this work argues that Atlanta continues to bear the mark of racial bias. He discusses the impact of race on the physical and institutional development of the city from the end of the Civil War through the mayorship of Andrew Young in the 1980s.