Hotel District in Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Sweet Auburn Walk
— Martin Luther King Jr., National Historic Site —
I.P. Reynolds, letter carrier and writer
Here, in the days before desegregation, blacks could feel free from racial harassment as they went about their daily lives operating and patronizing restaurants, markets, barbershops, dry good stores, doctors' offices, theaters, and nightclubs. Here — along Auburn, the cross streets, and a few parallel streets — they established churches, banks, funeral homes, newspapers, insurance companies, fraternal organizations, and their homes — a self-contained community.
The neighborhood was so sweet with opportunities for advancement that John Wesley Dobbs, inspired by an Oliver Goldsmith poem, dubbed it "Sweet Auburn.” Here, Dobbs said, existed three keys to liberation: “ballots, bucks, and books.”
Captions
Map:
Sweet Auburn Walk
Take a walk in the Sweet Auburn business district between Jackson Street on the east and Courtland Street on the west. On the buildings shown on this map, look for exhibits interpreting their historical significance.
Left: Big Bethel AME Church
Middle: John Wesley Dobbs (front, left) and the Rev. William Holmes Borders at a civic demonstration, 1960
Right: The sounds of screeching trolleys punctuated Sweet Auburn's bustling scene.
Erected by National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1960.
Location. 33° 45.34′ N, 84° 22.982′ W. Marker is in Atlanta, Georgia, in Fulton County. It is in the Hotel District. Marker is on Auburn Avenue east of Courtland Street NE, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 142 Auburn Ave, Atlanta GA 30303, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Atlanta's "Main Street" (within shouting distance of this marker); Alonzo Herndon 1858-1927 (within shouting distance of this marker); Herndon Plaza (within shouting distance of this marker); John Calhoun Park (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named John Calhoun Park (about 300 feet away); Original Coca-Cola Botting Company (about 600 feet away); National Medical Association: Medicine in the Civil Rights Movement (about 600 feet away); First Congregational Church United Church of Christ (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Atlanta.
Also see . . . Wikipedia article on "Sweet Auburn" avenue. (Submitted on November 16, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 16, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 169 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 16, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.