Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival

Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival

Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival is an annual festival held October third through the fifth located on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Civil rights leader Hosea Williams founded the Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival in 1984 as a way to celebrate African American achievement established on Auburn Avenue. Currently, the festival offers food, art, and entertainment throughout the day while celebrating Auburn Avenue’s past and growth.

History of Auburn Avenue

Formerly known as Wheat Street, Auburn Avenue was segregated by the Jim Crow Laws in the 1920’s through the 1940’s which segregated African American businesses from other establishments. [ [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2507&sug=y Georgia Encyclopedia on Auburn Avenue (Sweet Auburn)] ] As a result, Auburn Avenue became home to Atlanta’s first emerging African American middle class due to the success of several financial institutions like Atlanta Life Insurance and Citizens Trust Bank. [ [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/atlanta/aub.htm National Parks Service page] ] Once black-owned businesses were at a high Auburn Avenue became referred to as Sweet Auburn and the richest Negro street in the world. In addition to businesses several churches, homes, and entertainment venues reside on Auburn Avenue.

Entertainment

The Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival is not just about celebrating the history of Auburn Avenue. The festival’s entertainment varies from comedians to up and coming artist from diverse genres of music. [ [http://www.sweetauburn.com/ SweetAuburn.com] ] The Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival searches for entertainment from cities such as: Atlanta, Macon, Savannah, Augusta, Huntsville and Chattanooga in hopes to help non- established artist’s path to stardom. Artist such as Usher Raymond, Outkast,India Irie, and Raven Symone have started out performing on stage at the festival. Ultimately, the Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival entertainment has grown much farther than originally anticipated from its beginning stages in 1984.

Historic attractions

* Atlanta Daily World - founded in 1928
* Big Bethel AME - founded in 1847
* Butler Street CME - founded in 1882
* Butler Street – YMCA founded in 1920
* Apex Museum - founded in 1985
* Citizens Trust Bank - founded in 1921
* Atlanta Life Insurance - founded in 1905
* Wheat Street Baptist Church - founded in 1870
* King Center for Non-Violent Social Change - founded in 1968
* Odd Fellows Complex buildings - founded in 1913
* The Royal Peacock - founded in 1930’s
* Ebenezer Baptist Church - founded in 1886
* Dr. Martin Luther King’s birth home – established January 15, 1929 [ [http://www.nps.gov/malu/ Martin Luther King’s birth home] ]
* Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry - founded in 1971
* Martin Luther King Jr. National Park Visitors Center - founded in 1980
* 100 Black Men of America National Headquarters - established in 1997
* Auburn Avenue Research Library – founded 1934
* Sweet Auburn Curb Market - opened in 1924

References

External links

* [http://www.ovayonda.org/festival/gaf_sweet_auburn_spring_fest.htm OvaYonda.org on the festival]
* [http://www.atlanta.net/Visitors/seedo/civilRightsBeyond2.html Civil Rights and Beyond] at Atlanta.net
* [http://www.100blackmen.org 100blackmen.org]


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