AP takes on issue of race and the Atlanta mayor’s race

OK, this is the fourth significant print media article I’ve seen on the subject of the impact of race in determining the city’s next mayor. It was written by Errin Haines, a young African American reporter with the Atlanta bureau of the Associated Press.

Of course, the story mentions the controversial August memo by two Clark-Atlanta professors that advocated the election of a black mayor:

The incident soured Rev. Joseph Lowery, a revered civil rights leader whose support is coveted, on endorsing either Reed or Borders. He has instead focused on increasing voter turnout.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with discussing black candidates for mayor, Lowery said. We’d be silly not to discuss the issue. It’s a reality. I think the most qualified candidates in this race are black.

It’s a little interesting that the AP story quotes Lowery without mentioning that he’s a member of the Black Leadership Council, the mysterious group that commissioned the memo.

Anyway, for your edification, the earlier articles on race were done by the AJC, the NYT and, of course, lil’ old CL.