- By the 1970s, Georgia was already in the middle of major change.

Its economy was growing and becoming more industrial.

More people were living in cities instead of on farms, and at the center of that transformation was Atlanta, a city quickly gaining attention for its leadership and progress.

Under mayors William B. Hartsfield and Ivan Allen Jr., Atlanta had built a reputation as a forward-looking city in the deep south, but an even bigger shift was just beginning.

A new generation of leadership would soon take the stage, leaders who would expand opportunity, strengthen the economy and guide Atlanta into a new era of growth.

Two trailblazers, Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young would help lead that transformation.

As Atlanta's first two Black mayors, they built on earlier progress while pushing the city and the state toward even greater inclusion, influence, and global recognition.

(bright music) In 1972, Andrew Young made history.

He became the first African American from Georgia elected to the US House of Representatives since reconstruction.

That's over a hundred years, but politics wasn't where Andrew Young's journey started.

He originally moved to Georgia to become a pastor.

Along the way, he became deeply involved in the civil rights movement and worked closely with Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

In the 1960s, Young joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, also known as the SCLC.

There he helped teach non-violent protest strategies and organized citizenship schools, which trained people to fight for their rights, especially the right to vote.

His efforts paid off big time, voter registration across the south increase and more voices were finally being heard.

Young's leadership helped him win re-election twice to Congress.

Later in 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed him US Ambassador to the United Nations, making Young the first African American to hold that position.

While Andrew Young was rising on the national stage, Atlanta itself was entering a new era of leadership.

In 1974, Maynard Jackson made history as the first Black mayor of Atlanta and of any major southern city.

Although he was only 35 years old, Jackson had been preparing for a life of service for years.

Born in 1938, he was raised in a family that valued political activism.

His father was a Baptist preacher who was active in the civil rights movement, and his grandfather, John Wesley Dobbs, helped successfully end the white primary in Georgia.

His mother also made history as the first African American to receive a library card from the Atlanta Public Library, helping to desegregate the system.

And Maynard Jackson's family making a difference wasn't just encouraged, it was expected.

He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta at just 18 years old, and later became a lawyer working to help low-income communities.

Step by step, his path was leading somewhere bigger.

Following the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr.

and Robert Kennedy in 1968, Maynard Jackson turned his attention to politics.

In 1970, he became vice mayor of Atlanta, his first elected position.

Then in 1973, Jackson was elected mayor of Atlanta, earning 60% of the vote.

When he took office in 1974, he broke new ground in southern politics, opening the door for more diverse leadership across the region.

- I believe that politics is the best of available non-violent means of changing how we live.

- One of his most significant projects as mayor was adding a new terminal at the Atlanta Airport.

At the time, air travel was becoming more important for business and trade.

Jackson saw the airport expansion as a way to further connect Atlanta and all of Georgia to the rest of the country and the world, and he was right.

(wink chiming) Over time, the airport became a major economic engine, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and bringing billions of dollars into the state.

In 2003, the airport was renamed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, honoring both Mayor William Hartsfield and Mayor Maynard Jackson for their contributions to its growth and development.

But Jackson's vision went beyond infrastructure.

He wanted the airport's growth to support minority communities as well.

He saw that Atlanta's economic opportunities didn't reflect its population, so he worked to expand opportunities for Black-owned businesses and create more jobs.

Jackson set aside 25% of city contracts for minority-owned companies and used the airport project to improve citywide hiring practices.

He introduced programs that would ensure a wider range of candidates were considered for jobs without lowering standards.

This early use of affirmative action helped create more equitable access to jobs for women, African Americans, and other minority groups.

Plus, it added more economic diversity.

But Maynard Jackson didn't stop there.

He worked to improve public transportation, strengthened housing programs, and increased diversity within the city's police department.

By hiring and promoting more Black officers, he hoped to build trust and reduce tensions between the community and law enforcement.

After serving two consecutive or back-to-back terms, Maynard Jackson reached his term limit as mayor.

But before stepping away, he encouraged another leader to run for mayor, Andrew Young.

In 1981, Young was elected Atlanta's 55th mayor and assumed office in 1982.

For the first time in the city's history, one Black mayor passed leadership directly to another.

It was a pretty historic moment.

As mayor, Andrew Young brought something new, global experience and international connections.

He built on Jackson's work and focused on expanding Atlanta's economy even further.

During Young's time in office, billions of dollars flowed into the city.

Over 1,000 new businesses opened, and more than a million jobs were created.

Young also made sure that growth remained inclusive by continuing to support minority and women-owned businesses.

But he knew a great city needed more than just business.

It needed strong educational and cultural institutions.

So he created the Mayor's Task Force on Education, chaired by First Lady of Atlanta, Jean Childs Young.

The program helped triple college scholarships for Atlanta public school graduates.

Mayor Young also supported cultural and community improvements, including upgrades to underground Atlanta, Zoo Atlanta, and other attractions, helping make the city a more vibrant place to live and visit.

At the same time, he continued improving transportation, connecting MARTA to the airport, and helping it grow into one of the busiest airports in the world.

These enhancements signaled that Atlanta's status as a major American city was here to stay.

After hitting his mayoral term limit in 1990.

Andrew Young left office, but Atlanta was about to welcome back a familiar face.

It was Maynard Jackson.

He wasn't new to the job, but this time he was ready to lead the city into an exciting new chapter.

You see, while Andrew Young was still mayor, he teamed up with former football player and business leader, Billy Payne, to pitch Georgia's capital city as the host for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Then the announcement came in 1990, - The 1996 Olympic games to the city of Atlanta.

- [Tony] So Mayor Jackson and the city jumped into action.

Infrastructure was improved, venues and hotels were built, and visitors from around the world saw a modern dynamic Georgia.

Landing the Olympics became Young's most globally significant achievement, and it set the stage for Atlanta to shine.

- I think we had the best Olympics ever because we had more than 200 countries show up.

We raised two and a half billion dollars privately.

We paid for everything we needed and had almost a hundred million dollars left over.

We didn't solve all of the problems of the city, but we sure turned Atlanta into a truly international city.

- Together, Mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young guided Atlanta's development into the city we know and love today.

Jackson focused on increasing opportunities and modernizing infrastructure.

He expanded the airport, improved transit, and positioned Atlanta as a multicultural business hub of the southeast.

Young built on that vision, attracting international investments, supporting education and cultural programs, and helping bring the Olympics to Georgia.

Atlanta's reputation as a national and international powerhouse was undeniable, but the impact of the city's first Black mayors went beyond the city's limits.

Because Atlanta had grown stronger.

Georgia grew stronger too.

Through leadership, vision and a commitment to inclusion, Mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young didn't just shape a city, they helped transform an entire state.

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