Cover of "Le Petit Journal", 7 October, 1906. Depicting the race riots in Atlanta, Ga.

A front page illustration in the French newspaper Le Petit Journal on Oct. 7, 1906, depicts the September 1906 race massacre in Atlanta, Ga.

Credit: Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France

The panel

Kevin Riley, @ajceditor, editor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Riley Bunch, @ribunchreports, public policy reporter, GPB News
Michael Thurmond, @dekalblikesmike, CEO, DeKalb County
Jordan Fuchs, @JordyFuchs, Republican political consultant

 

The breakdown

1. A historic bridge has been rededicated at Stone Mountain.

  • Stone Mountain Park was created as a monument to the Confederacy. It now features a bridge built by a Black architect in 1891.

    • The bridge was built by Washington W. King to cross the Oconee River in Athens, connecting the city to the rural eastern part of the county.
  • Stone Mountain prominently features a carving of Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, and Robert E. Lee. The second iteration of the Ku Klux Klan was founded on the mountain following the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank.

 

2. Today marks the anniversary of the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre.

  • On this day in history, white mobs murdered at least 25 Black people around Atlanta.

    • Historically the event has been referred to as a "race riot," but historians and civil rights advocates are pushing for it to be more accurately called a massacre.

LISTEN: Bill Nigut and Michael Thurmond remember the Atlanta Race Massacre and what future generations can learn from history.

3. Recent polls hint at Republican leads in multiple races. 

  • A recent AJC poll shows the GOP taking the lead in all but the Senate race in Georgia.
  • This contrasts a recent Quinnipiac poll that reports the race for governor is "too close to call" and Warnock leads Walker by 6%.
  • The AJC also reports that abortion might not be Georgian voters' first concern. But 50% of respondents say they'd vote for a candidate who is pro-choice.

LISTEN: Jordan Fuchs says a candidate can't get comfortable with a lead in the polls.

4. Herschel Walker has started to receive support from national Republicans.

  • Sen. Rick Scott recently stated he believed Republicans would reach 52 seats in the Senate, directly stating Walker would win.
  • Warnock has raised massive amounts from donors in-state and nationwide. Republicans may need to weigh in to support Walker and combat that funding.

LISTEN: Mike Thurmond says a Senate race is a national race and will attract attention outside the state.

5. Very few conservative women are running in Georgia. That's not what's happening nationwide.

  • Riley Bunch quotes former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who says the conservative movement hasn't historically sought after women. There's also not many conservative women in the state legislature.

Friday on Political Rewind: Retired AJC columnist Jim Galloway joins the panel.

Tags: Georgia  Politics  Georgia Politics  Atlanta  Savanah  Macon  Stone Mountain  race riots  Political Rewind  Bill Nigut