by Kimberly Ripley
Martin Luther King Jr.'s visionary dreams were responsible for the desegregation of blacks and whites, not only in Atlanta, but throughout the country. Sadly, what desegregation did for nation, it wasn't able to do for his neighborhood of origin, known as Sweet Auburn.
Early civil rights leader John Wesley Dobbs affectionately renamed Auburn Avenue in Atlanta during the time of segregation. Choosing to call it "Sweet Auburn" in honor of the employment opportunities it provided blacks, Dobbs referred to its wealth of night clubs, big churches, restaurants, hotels, and shops. Dobbs' grandson, former Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson, called Sweet Auburn "a living lab for Martin Luther King Jr.'s dreams." Author Gary Pomerantz, who wrote "Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn" referred to Sweet Auburn as "the yellow brick road for black dreamers in the South in the 1930's and 40's."
With a nationwide lack of employment and educational opportunities for blacks of that era, Sweet Auburn was a great place to call home. Everyone knew everyone. And the bustling businesses kept blacks employed.
In the 1960's, Sweet Auburn gained recognition as the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr. It subsequently became more famous as his resting place. But not too long after his death, Auburn Avenue began to decline.
By the 1970's many of the businesses had closed. Some of the old buildings were being torn down, and residents started relocating. Even though many of these former residents returned to Sweet Auburn to attend church on Sundays, they began frequenting other retail and eating establishments. Many businesses had no choice but to close. Former Mayor Jackson initiated a plan of revitalization by promoting downtown shopping. He also highlighted the area's rich history, in hopes of attracting new blood. In the 1980's, those sparse business owners still operating on "Sweet Auburn" believed that the construction of a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. might enhance growth in the area.
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, both built near King's birthplace as well as his tomb, did in fact become Atlanta's most popular attractions. However, the original intent of their construction was to redirect business to this area. In this realm it was a failure. Tourists would stop and see these memorials, but the visit remained just that--merely a quick stop. No one seemed to linger long enough to bolster the local businesses.
Today Sweet Auburn is a street of faded storefronts. In between some of them a few well-kept churches can be found. Several roped off building sites mark the location of future modern office buildings.
The current vision for Sweet Auburn is that growth will be stimulated with the completion of these new buildings. Bringing new businesses and their employees to this area should definitely play a major role in the revitalization of this historical neighborhood. And although those remaining there accept that Sweet Auburn may never be exactly what it was, they do look forward to the future, and they now have a dream of what Sweet Auburn may very well become.
Kimberly Ripley