Herman J. Russell builds Atlanta's largest Black-owned construction company

Herman J. Russell founded H.J. Russell & Company in Atlanta in 1952 at age 16, growing it into one of the largest Black-owned construction firms in America. Russell's company built major Atlanta landmarks including Hartsfield-Jackson Airport concourses, the Georgia Dome, and Centennial Olympic Park, while he also quietly supported the Civil Rights Movement by providing bond money for arrested demonstrators.