Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn: The Saga of Two Families and the Making of Atlanta

This compelling account of the rise of Atlanta from the devastation of the Civil War to its present role as host of the 1996 Olympics is told through a generational biography of two families--one black and one white. Displaying his excellent research skills, Pomerantz, a journalist with the Atlanta Constitution, recounts the story of Iran Allen Sr., son of a Confederate cavalryman, who came to the city in 1897 to accumulate wealth. Contrasted with the Allens are the Dobbses, whose Atlanta residency began with John Wesley Dobbs, son of a Georgia freedman, who arrived in 1895 seeking an education. Coexisting in a segregated society, both men raised families and became civil leaders. Dobbs taught his children that they were the equals of whites, and his grandson, Maynard Jackson Jr., was elected Atlanta's first black mayor in 1973. Iran Allen Jr. recast himself as a Southern liberal and served as Atlanta's mayor from 1962 to 1969. Through rich details and vibrant characterizations, the author delivers a comprehensive overview of the struggle for civil rights in a major Southern city. (June)