Tag: Sweet Auburn
Gene Kansas
Gene Kansas has an affinity for adaptive-reuse projects, especially those on imperiled Auburn Avenue, the heart of a district famously dubbed Sweet Auburn when it was thriving during the first half of the 20th century. Kansas knows how fragile community and history can be, having seen his hometown literally underwater.
Black in Blue: Atlanta’s first African American police officers were vanguards of the civil rights movement
Mayor William Hartsfield and Police Chief Herbert Jenkins, both white, stood before Atlanta’s first eight African American police officers as they prepared for active duty. Hartsfield gave a rallying speech, warning that though 95 percent of the white cops didn’t want them, they were here to do what Jackie Robinson had done for baseball the year before.
One Square Mile: Freddy Cole and Sweet Auburn’s evolution
Freddy Cole sits at a table in a back corner of Sweet Auburn Seafood restaurant. The linens are crisp, the decor modern: shimmering tile, high-backed benches—all unmarked by smoke or time. This place is a welcome sign of slow resurgence in this historic part of town.
Julian Bond’s ‘unwavering commitment to fight for justice’ remembered at the King Center
Ceremony brings together nearly 200 hundred officials, activists, and onlookers for to reflect on the legacy of SNCC's co-founder.
The Byrd’s Box finds a permanent home in Sweet Auburn
This “art house boutique,” which began as a pop-up along the Atlanta Streetcar route last summer, has nested permanently on Auburn Avenue. Inside you’ll find unique and affordable clothing and gifts from local makers such as Yo Soy Candle, Revive Bath & Body, and Stephanie’s Paper Shop.
After decades of neglect, glimmers of hope for Sweet Auburn
Back in 2012, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn district to its list of the country’s “most endangered” historic places. Much bemoaning of Atlanta’s fondness for the wrecking ball followed—just as it had in 1992, the first time that the Trust sounded the alarm on the precarious status of one of the most influential locations in African American history.
With full market, Truly Living Well expands mission
Last week, something lovely happened at Truly Living Well’s Wheat Street Garden. There among the beds of squash and tomatoes, on a concrete slab where a housing project once stood, a farmers market blossomed.
Commentary: Atlanta’s neglect of the Sweet Auburn district is a civic shame
A century or so ago, if a black resident of Atlanta wanted to stop for a drink after work, he’d have to go to the basement of a saloon, or sit behind a curtain or screen in the rear of a bar. Jim Crow laws, which controlled everything from what African Americans could wear (no capes) and how they got to upper floors of the Candler Building (the freight elevator), kept the races from sharing a cold beer or shot of rye side by side.
Obama campaign setting up shop on Auburn Ave.
The historic Sweet Auburn corridor will get an infusion of energy over the next six months as the Obama presidential reelection campaign sets up its Georgia headquarters at 171 Auburn Avenue. Having such a high-profile tenant in the area will bring much-needed attention to the struggling historic district. This is especially critical this year as work is underway on the new streetcar line that will run along the street, and civic leaders look for ways to revitalize the surrounding area.
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