Michael Hinton
Hartsfield's city that was "too busy to hate"
In 1960, Atlanta became the focus of the nation as it began desegregating its schools. The whole country had seen the violence and loud cries of hate that erupted in Little Rock and New Orleans and expected the same from Atlanta, the heart of the South. Mayor Hartsfield made it clear that this would not be the case. Hartsfield was dedicated to the peaceful desegregation of the city throughout the decade and called Atlanta, “A city too busy to hate.” The desegregation was rather pleasantly uneventful which won the acclaim of President Kennedy. He instructed the rest of the nation to follow the example Atlanta had set. Businesses and restaurants were also desegregated quietly, thanks to compromises made by merchants and black civil rights leaders. The peaceful desegregation in Atlanta set a high standard for the rest of the country to follow. By overcoming the issue, Atlanta was able to move on and rise up the economic ladder without the impediment of segregation to get in the way of progress.
Hein, Virginia H. “The Image of ‘A City Too Busy to Hate’: Atlanta in the 1960’s,” _Phylon_ Vol. 33 (3rd Quarter, 1972) pp. 205-221
Hartsfield's city that was "too busy to hate"
In 1960, Atlanta became the focus of the nation as it began desegregating its schools. The whole country had seen the violence and loud cries of hate that erupted in Little Rock and New Orleans and expected the same from Atlanta, the heart of the South. Mayor Hartsfield made it clear that this would not be the case. Hartsfield was dedicated to the peaceful desegregation of the city throughout the decade and called Atlanta, “A city too busy to hate.” The desegregation was rather pleasantly uneventful which won the acclaim of President Kennedy. He instructed the rest of the nation to follow the example Atlanta had set. Businesses and restaurants were also desegregated quietly, thanks to compromises made by merchants and black civil rights leaders. The peaceful desegregation in Atlanta set a high standard for the rest of the country to follow. By overcoming the issue, Atlanta was able to move on and rise up the economic ladder without the impediment of segregation to get in the way of progress.
Hein, Virginia H. “The Image of ‘A City Too Busy to Hate’: Atlanta in the 1960’s,” _Phylon_ Vol. 33 (3rd Quarter, 1972) pp. 205-221