Sweet Auburn is the historic Atlanta district remembered as the center of Black Society, commerce, professional life, restaurants, and nightlife. Its changed streetscape holds a sharp contrast: landmarks associated with Martin Luther King Jr. attract large numbers of visitors, while tourism brings little spending to the neighborhood itself.

A center of Black life

The account traces Sweet Auburn along Edgewood Avenue, Auburn, Ellis Street, and Houston, with Auburn singled out above all. In its earlier prominence, the district gathered Black shopping, professional life, restaurants, and nightlife in one urban center. Wesley Dobbs Jordan had been named for the Black leader John Wesley Dobbs, who gave the avenue its celebrated name, Sweet Auburn.

Displacement and transformation

By the time Roger White passes through, the name carries an ironic edge: he sees little sweetness in the neighborhood's present condition. Black Society had long since moved west, toward West End, Cascade Heights, and other neighborhoods. An enormous elevated highway had also been built through the heart of Sweet Auburn, physically cutting across the area that had once served as a center of Black public and commercial life.

Landmarks and tourism

The district retains powerful historical landmarks. The house where Martin Luther King Jr.'s parents lived when he was born stands on Auburn, and the next block contains the Center for Nonviolent Social Change. King's remains lie in a marble bier set within a reflecting pool inside the center's walls. These two blocks rank among the country's most popular tourist destinations, yet visitors do not stay to spend money in Sweet Auburn. The contrast between national recognition and limited local economic benefit defines the neighborhood's place in the scene.