For Immediate Release
February 25, 2020
Contact:
Office of Policy and Communications
(678) 920-0857
Hartsfield-Jackson Hosts Annual Black History Month Celebration
This year’s theme is “Enduring Legacy: The Movement Continues”
ATLANTA – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) will host its annual Black History Month celebration. This year’s program themed, “Enduring Legacy: The Movement Continues,” will acknowledge Atlanta as the cradle of the civil rights movement, discuss the importance of Black History Month, and honor the rich heritage, legacy and impact that African Americans have had on every aspect of American life.
The program will celebrate and pay tribute to civil rights leaders Julian Bond, former mayor of Atlanta Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. and unsung hero Ruby Doris Smith Robinson.
The City of Atlanta Voices will honor the sacrifice, courage, and legacy of those active in the civil rights movement in song, one of the most pivotal elements of the era. The City of Atlanta Voices will be led by Jamila Jones, an original member of the internationally known Harambee Singers and a child of the movement. She participated in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and at 11 years old, formed the singing group, Montgomery Gospel Trio, to raise money for the civil rights movement.
WHO: Myrna White, Public Affairs Director, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Michael Julian Bond, Atlanta City Council member, Post 1 At-Large
City of Atlanta Voices, led by Jamila Jones
Sylvia Robinson, mother of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
WHAT: ATL’s Black History Month Celebration
WHEN: Wednesday, February 26
12 p.m.
WHERE: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Domestic Terminal
6000 N. Terminal Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30320
PIONEERS AND VISIONARY LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT TO BE HONORED:
Julian Bond was a key figure of the 1960s civil rights movement, becoming one of the original leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an activist group that made significant contributions to the movement, while attending Morehouse College. During his storied career, Bond served in the Georgia General Assembly for 20 years, in both the House and the Senate.
Ruby Doris Smith Robinson emerged as a civil rights leader in 1960 for her work with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The Spelman College graduate served as a SNCC activist in the field and an administrator in the Atlanta central office. In 1966, she became the first and only woman to be elected as executive secretary, and served in that role until her death at age 25 in 1967 due to a rare blood disease and ultimately cancer.
Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. made history as Atlanta’s first African American mayor, working to ensure equal opportunity for all to participate in Atlanta’s vast growth and prosperity. A graduate of Morehouse College, Jackson was committed to the city of Atlanta and its people. The pioneer and visionary leader for which the International Terminal is named, Jackson was an instrumental leader in the Airport’s expansion and its transformation into the world’s busiest and most efficient airport.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) is the world’s busiest and most efficient airport, serving more than 110 million passengers annually with nonstop service to more than 150 U.S. destinations and 70 international destinations in more than 50 countries. ATL boasts a direct economic impact of $51.5 billion in metro Atlanta and a total direct economic impact of $82 billion across the Southeast. The Airport is the largest employer in Georgia, with more than 63,000 individuals working on-site. The Airport is a frequent recipient of awards of excellence for concessions, operations, sustainability, architectural engineering and construction. In 2016, ATL set in motion a multibillion-dollar capital improvement program, ATLNext, which will modernize the Domestic Terminal, extend two concourses, construct several parking decks, add a sixth runway, expand cargo facilities and pave the way for a 440-room hotel with Class A office space. For more information, visit www.atl.com.
