" the Sweet Auburn Historic District reflects the history, heritage and achievements of Atlanta's African Americans. The name Sweet Auburn was coined by John Wesley Dobbs, referring to the "richest Negro street in the world." Like other black communities throughout the country, Sweet Auburn's success was intricately tied to the residential patterns forced on African Americans during the early 20th century--the result of restrictive laws in southern states which enforced segregation of the races, known as Jim Crow laws. It was here that many African Americans established businesses, congregations, and social organizations."
now it is drugged and apathetic. the residuals from the post civil rights and black empowerment movements and the former young boy gangsters-now gross dude junkies are drudging along like plankton or zombies or zombie plankton all over the Sweet Auburn area.
the space has been claimed by them in massive numbers....that is until the Sweet Auburn Festival comes to town.
then shit is nice and pretty.
one man block party grandmaster, charles johnson, is the organizer, and in effect profiter, from the festival which takes place in the spring. it's mostly vendors selling their standard display of crap. this year i saw a few small organizations had booths for the cause.
walking through it, esp under the highway monster, you feel consumed in the smell of terrible carnival food and desperate money hounds with shiny wrapped plastic earrings.
the next day its gone and the junkies are back and people wait until next year to celebrate a former atlanta cultural garden while mr. charles johnson is happy to plan the whole thing for them again.
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