Push for rich, white suburbs to split off from Atlanta’s Fulton County raises race questions
By Shannon Mccaffrey, APThursday, January 7, 2010
Push to split away from Fulton County raises race
ATLANTA — In cradle of the Civil Rights movement, a new secession effort is under way. This time, it’s a move to break off Atlanta’s predominantly white, wealthy suburbs to the north from poorer, black neighborhoods in the south.
State lawmakers are considering splitting off some of the city’s northern suburbs from Fulton County and putting them in the now-extinct Milton County.
Its supporters hope resurrecting Milton County would give residents more responsive government. Opponents say the measure is racially motivated and will open up a deep rift between black and white, rich and poor in a state with a complicated racial history.
The area that would be split off is more than 75 percent white. The bulk of the remaining portion of Fulton County is 90 percent minority.
