Now that the results of the Atlanta mayor’s race are undisputed, one of the first tasks for Mayor-Elect Keisha Lance Bottoms is how to unify the city. The race itself was divisive and bitter, often seeming to focus on individuals rather than substance. Even though both Bottoms and her opponent, Councilwoman Mary Norwood, expressed concern for many of the same of issues – affordable housing, public safety, and transportation, to name a few, the two candidates had little choice but to paint a very different and sometimes deplorable picture of the policy agenda and voting record of the other. To say the race became personal would be an understatement.
There is no doubt that this race has caused a riff in personal and professional relationships across the city, hurt feelings everywhere. As of today, Norwood has not conceded and is requesting a recount. Her concession would trigger the start reconciliation around the city. Make no mistake though, the mayor’s race is not the cause of a fractured Atlanta – if anything, it is a symptom.
As America’s “Black Mecca,” the city of Atlanta’s demographics continue to change. Over the last several years the city has exponentially lost black residents and slowly gained white ones. While many have informally noticed it, neighborhood by neighborhood, but this election formally confirmed the demographics shift for the masses. Though it should come as no surprise, the map below shows that the southern portion of Atlanta turned out overwhelmingly in favor for Bottoms while the northern portion did the same for Norwood (more data is available here: http://mcimaps.com/a-tale-of-two-cities-the-politicalracial-divide-in-atlantas-mayoral-runoff/).
In other words, Bottoms got the vast majority of black voters and Norwood got the vast majority of white voters. Most black and white Atlantans live in what may as well be two different cities. North Atlanta is wealthy, in receipt of frequent economic investment, and free of blight. South Atlanta is vibrant and diverse (income and ethnicity), but does not see nearly as much investment and is in far more desperate need of infrastructure improvements. The wealth gap between those two sections of the city bears out that reality as well.
The need to unify the city is not a new one, but it is becoming harder to avoid addressing the problem. Income inequality is getting worse, not better, and it is more expensive to live in the city. While business is booming in the city thanks to developer- and company-friendly policies, many Atlanta citizens or neighborhoods have seen the gains those investments have brought.
Bottoms will need to address many issues facing the city, but race, income, transparency and equality at this moment will be the elephant in the room. Race, income, and political affiliation are difficult divides to bridge, but the problems will only grow worse the longer they are ignored. Buckhead and Bankhead have entirely different priorities, and Atlanta cannot be governed with one-size-fits-all policies. North and south, white and black, rich, middle class, and poor color the conversation led by Bottoms. She must be a mayor for everyone while recognizing that not everyone lives in the same version of Atlanta.
Atlanta needs a paradigm shift. Bottoms, along with the new city council, will have to take a more direct approach to solving racial and income inequality to right the ship. True unification will be impossible otherwise.
Based on her remarks on the campaign trail, it is clear Bottoms recognizes and prioritizes solutions for these disparate realities. I believe her election may finally mark the beginning of a great period of healing in the city so many of us call home. At the end of the day, we all want the same things – we want a roof over our heads, enough food on the table, reliable health care, a safe community, and good schools.
Bottoms can and will unite us by recognizing those common goals we all hold dear. We are all invested in the future of this city, which is something we would all do well to remember when old grudges and political rivalries begin to turn us against one another. Now is the time for us to move forward. Together.
