Herman J. Russell

Herman Jerome Russell built the largest Black-owned construction company in America and quietly became one of the most influential power brokers in Atlanta — a city he helped construct, literally and figuratively. H.J. Russell & Company built the Georgia Dome, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport terminals, the Carter Presidential Center, and dozens of other landmarks. At its peak, the company generated over $350 million in annual revenue.

Born in Atlanta in 1930, Russell started his first business at age 12, selling newspapers and shining shoes. His father, a plasterer, taught him the construction trade. By 16, Russell had bought his first piece of property, and he never stopped acquiring. He built his company from a small plastering operation into a diversified conglomerate that included construction, real estate development, and concessions management.

Russell was also a civil rights leader who used his economic influence to advance the movement. He bankrolled voter registration drives, hosted fundraisers for Martin Luther King Jr., and integrated Atlanta's construction industry by forming joint ventures with white-owned firms at a time when that was virtually unheard of. His philosophy was pragmatic: economic power was the most sustainable form of freedom.