Georgia Map, med Atlanta Locator
I slutningen af 1970'erne og begyndelsen af 1980'erne var byen Atlanta, Georgien, vokset til et økonomisk kraftcenter i syd. Længe udviklet som et stort regionalt transportcenter havde byen også pralet af en række større virksomheder, såsom Coca Cola, Delta Airlines og Cox Communications. Den stadig mere sorte befolkning i byen stemte ind på borgmesterens kontor et af deres eget løb, en ung advokat ved navn Maynard Jackson. For Jackson var det kritisk at holde en magtbalancerende handling mellem hans sorte valgkreds og den eksisterende hvide magtstruktur. Ellers ville den hvide magtstruktur flygte til forstæderne, hvilket efterlod byen med et meget formindsket skattegrundlag.
Bernard Headley
Bernard Headley in his book The Atlanta Youth Murders and the Politics of Race says, 'Inevitably, many of the balancing acts that Maynard Jackson was forced to perform with Atlanta's white power structure were seen by blacks as betrayal....So throughout much of Jackson's second term, a context of racial strain persisted.' Despite the strong economic growth, the black population of the city remained very poor. Not surprisingly, a serious crime problem developed that made Atlanta one of the most dangerous cities in the country. Atlanta's business community was alarmed at the spiraling crime rate, fearful that businesses would flee the city and conventions would find safer cities for their meetings. This situation reached a crisis level as a series of murders of black children and teenagers began to emerge, throwing an unwelcome spotlight on the entire city. The murders, believed at that time, to be the work of a racist white group did nothing to recommend the city to tourists and new business opportunities.'
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