CAU professors authored ATL mayor's race memo

By Charles Edwards

Atlanta, GA – The talk of Atlanta's Mayoral election has made a hard public shift towards race.

An analysis of the campaign commissioned by an African-American group was leaked to the media and widely circulated and discussed Thursday.

Today, two political science professors told WABE they wrote the analysis.

Word of the analysis first came from the Atlanta Progressive News. APN wrote Aaron Turpeau authored the document.

However, Turpeau told WABE he only distributed the analysis in an email to up to 40 people. They and Turpeau are part of an unofficial group which calls itself the Atlanta Black Leadership Forum. The group has been meeting to discuss the Mayor's race as well as issues facing the black community.

Turpeau also said who wrote the document.

TURPEAU: "It was two professors from Clark Atlanta University."

The CAU professors, who did not want their names disclosed, confirmed to WABE they are the authors. They're also concerned people are mischaracterizing the analysis and their original intent.

Many people interpret the analysis as a rally cry for black Atlantans to support City Council President Lisa Borders, who is black, as the best chance to beat City Councilor Mary Norwood, who is white.

The leaked document lists assertions that have been made about the election. They include the probability that a run off could decide the winner and Atlanta could have its first white Mayor in 25 years.

However, the professors also wrote the notion that black mayors have improved quality of life for all African-Americans in Atlanta is debatable.

They go on to say the forum needs to look deeper into assumptions about what policies and which candidate will best represent black Atlantans.