Alonzo Hernodon was Atlanta's first Black millionaire. He began life as a slave in a sharecropping family. &nbsp;After the Civil War, he studied barbering. He then used this knowledge to run several barbershops in downtown Atlanta. A successful and shrewd businessman, he invested his earnings in real estate and owned more property than any other African American in Atlanta by 1900. He then founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company and became Atlanta's first Black millionaire. &nbsp;Herndon had a wife, Adrienne, a son, Norris, and after Adrienne's death a second wife,&nbsp;Jessie Gillespie. He died in 1927, just three years after the Herndon building was built, leaving his son as president of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. <div>This building was constructed in 1924 and was intended to compete with the architecture across the street, the Odd Fellows Office Complex built in 1912. It's offices were home to many important Black businesses, organizations, and professionals, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Atlanta Urban League, and many African American doctors working in Atlanta. The gas station added on to the building was particularly ahead of its time, and later served as a police station. &nbsp; </div><div>The Atlanta Urban League located in the building from the 1920s to 1965 was a group focusing on social work founded by&nbsp;Lugenia Burns Hope. The Atlanta school of Social Work was also located in this building but moved to the Atlanta University Center Complex in 1930. &nbsp; The Herndon building&nbsp;deteriorated&nbsp;since its heyday. In 2002 it was boarded up and severely in need of repairs. &nbsp;In 2008 it was hit by a massive tornado and was subsequently torn down. The Clio entry for the Herndon Home Museum in Atlanta can be found here:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://theclio.com/web/entry?id=1739">http://theclio.com/web/entry?id=1739</a></div>

A sketch of plans for the Herndon building.

Pictures of the Herndon family and home, PDF file.

Other

The Herndon Building was once one of the most impressive structures in the Sweet Auburn District of Atlanta, Georgia.  It was built by Alonzo Herndon, former slave and founder of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, in 1924 and housed many offices including that of the NAACP.  It had 6 store fronts, 60 offices, a hotel, and its own gas station.  It was torn down in 2008 after being severely damaged by a tornado.  

Herndon Building

This walking tour along Auburn Avenue includes several museums, historic churches and other buildings, monuments to local black leaders, and several national historical sites related to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Missionaries from the American Missionary Association (AMA)&nbsp;established the Storrs School in 1865. This school, located on Houston Street near Piedmont Avenue became a gathering place for African American residents of the city and served as both a school and a meeting place for religious services.&nbsp;In 1867, African American residents of Atlanta, together with&nbsp;white missionaries from the AMA organized the&nbsp;Congregational Church of Christ. The congregation met at the&nbsp;Storrs School until 1877, when the AMA secured land&nbsp;on the corner of Houston and Courtland Streets. Members contributed money and labor to build a modest frame church.&nbsp;The church was pastored by white members of the AMA until&nbsp;1894, when&nbsp;Dr. Henry Hugh Proctor took leadership of the congregation. In 1908, Proctor secured the construction of the present building. Dr. Booker T. Washington, the most famous Black educator of the era, attended the dedication of the new church.&nbsp;At this time, the church established numerous missions and&nbsp;outreach programs. The church also offered educational programs for the community,&nbsp;including courses for young children to prepare them for school and classes for adults. Reflecting the growth of segregation in public&nbsp;accommodations and the discrimination faced at public institutions, the&nbsp;church also maintained a library and&nbsp;employment bureau, as well as a&nbsp;gymnasium. &nbsp;

One of the oldest African American Congregational churches in the United States, First Congregational Church of Atlanta dates back to 1867 when former slaves and free men and women of color gathered together to hold services. The congregation received support from the American Missionary Association, a group of Northern African Americans and whites who traveled to the South and helped establish schools and churches in the aftermath of the Civil War. 

First Congregational Church of Atlanta

The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History is located in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn district, which is known for its rich African American history. The library's history dates back to the beginning of what was called the Negro History Collection in 1921. Since then, this primary resource in public education for and about African Americans in the South has grown immensely. Today the library is undergoing renovations to house its growing collection.The library's history begins at the Auburn Branch of the Carnegie Library of Atlanta in 1921. The current location on Auburn Avenue would come decades later. However, the library was initially a collection founded to open public library access up to African Americans in Atlanta. The mission was very successful, and the collection expanded. In 1934 the branch officially organized the Negro History Collection under the leadership of Annie L. McPheeters, an African American librarian. The collection included books, journals, magazines, and newspapers written by and for African Americans. Meanwhile, Atlanta's African American population was expanding. With a growing appeal for an African American library in West Atlanta, the West Hunter Branch Library was founded on the corner of West Hunter Street and Morris Brown Drive in 1949. The library finally desegregated a decade later in 1959. In 1970, the Negro History collection was moved to its third home at the Carnegie Library building in downtown Atlanta. It was during this stay that the collection was renamed the Samuel W. Williams Collection on Black America, after a famous African American scholar based in Atlanta. In 1994, the collection came to its final home on Auburn Avenue. The collection eventually outgrew this four-story structure, and renovations are currently underway to expand the Auburn Avenue Research Library.Today, the library offers both a glimpse into the past for African Americans and cultural ties to Africa through visual arts, film, and writing. The library hosts speakers, exhibitions, and film screenings to connect Atlanta's residents to the African American experience.

The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History is situated in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn Historic District and is part of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System. The reference and archival collections housed within the facility are dedicated to both the study and preservation of African and African American history and culture. The research library was recognized by the state of Georgia in 2001 when it was awarded the Governor's Award in the Humanities. 

Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History

African American Panoramic Experience (APEX) offers a variety of exhibits that change three to four times a year and range from hair styles to art, dance and African history.The Museum, epitomizes the rich and often untold story of African and African-American history and culture. The museum is housed within a 100-year-old building, erected by African-American masons. Visitors can grow in appreciation and understanding of the African-American experience and social contributions through exhibits, artifacts and presentations spanning centuries, from ancient African civilizations to contemporary events. The first video is projected on the wall in front of the trolley and it provides history of Africans before they became slaves. It speaks on history that goes all the way back to 6500 B.C. It discusses the success of Africans before the slave trade and how there was Queens, Pharaohs, and war leaders. Also the wealth of Africa because of the ivory.The second video is on how African slaves&nbsp;became African Americans, but still faced struggles of segregation; however, they progressed economically and&nbsp;civilly right on Auburn Avenue. For example, Blacks started&nbsp;owning their own business in the 1800s, which included, drug stores, news articles, and hotels.The APEX was Founded by Dan Moore. Unlike other African American Museums the APEX&nbsp; Mr. Moore wanted a place to celebrate and honor contributions of African Americans. The APEX's mission statement is "Founded in 1978 to chronicle &amp; present African American Art, History &amp; Culture, our purpose is to inform &amp; enlighten youth &amp; the broad base public to the many positive achievements and contributions of African Americans. We endeavor to promote intercultural understanding, expand racial &amp; ethnic tolerances, and to encourage positive avenues in Black youth. Our philosophy is that bigotry and prejudice&nbsp;are fostered by ignorance and that hopelessness and despair felt by many Black youth are fueled by a lack of positive exposure. We use vivid &amp; entertaining mediums to light a spark, to make a difference."&nbsp;APEX Museum aims to accurately interpret and present history from an African American perspective. It strives to help all American and international visitors better understand and appreciate the contributions of African Americans to America, as well as the world.

The African-American Panoramic Experience (APEX) Museum is situated in downtown Atlanta's Sweet Auburn Historic District. The museum includes numerous exhibits and programs related to the local, regional and national experience of people of color. The museum also offers programs for children and community lectures and other events that present the African American perspective throughout history. The museum was established by Dan Moore in hopes of highlighting the contributions of African Americans. Since it opened in 1978, thousands of visitors from more than forty countries have toured the museum. 

The APEX Museum

The Atlanta Daily World Building is a two-story brick building that dates back to 1912. It became the home of the Atlanta World newspaper in 1928. In the words of its founder, William Alexander Scott II, the newspaper aimed to cover news that would be primarily important to Black people. In 1932, Scott's weekly newspaper became the Atlanta Daily World, the first daily Black newspaper in the world. William A. Scott II created a syndicate of fifty newspapers across the country by 1933, operating as Scott Newspaper Syndicate, one of the largest Black-owned businesses in America. William A. Scott II died in 1934 at the age of 31, after being shot by an unknown assailant. After the murder, the newspaper was run for many more decades by his brother, Cornelius A. Scott. The newspaper has been a longtime supporter of civil rights issues, education reform, and the preservation of historic Auburn Avenue. In 1944, a jazz club, Club Poinciana, rented one of the two commercial spaces on the front of the building's ground floor. The newspaper had about 28,000 subscribers by 1945. The newspaper took a more conservative tone than other similar newspapers, and even endorsed Richard Nixon for U.S. President in 1960. The newspaper operated from the building on Auburn Avenue, in the heart of the Black business district, until 2008, when the tornado that struck downtown Atlanta damaged the structure. The building's roof was blown off, and the newspaper's building sign was damaged. The newspaper moved their offices to Peachtree Street, and continues to operate. The building remained vacant and deteriorating for four years, but was saved from demolition plans by potential new owners in 2012. A petition signed by over 1,000 people pleaded the case for saving the historic building, and the city listened. A man named Gene Kansas and his business partners then bought the building from the Scott family. By mid-March 2015, the building was re-opened after renovations by the architectural firm Gamble &amp; Gamble and others. The upstairs has been renovated into living space, with two, two-bedroom condominiums. One ground floor storefront space houses Arden's Garden, a local family-owned juice bar offering smoothies and bottled juices. The drinks are made with only fruit and vegetables, but they use twenty different kinds! Condesa Coffee, formerly on one of the two ground floor spaces in the building, moved out in December 2019. A new coffee shop opened in the space in February 2020, a non-profit named Refuge Coffee. The owners have run another coffee shop in the suburbs, in Clarkston, for five years and have provided jobs and job training to refugees from 80 countries. They plan to expand their services to the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, offering a "safe, multi-ethnic space void of agenda" for Atlanta's refugee community. Given Auburn Avenue's links to struggles for social and civic justice, the location seemed a perfect fit for Refuge Coffee Company. They plan to hold fundraisers and clothing drives at the new shop, too. This same spot contained a coffee shop in 1918.

The Atlanta Daily World Building once housed a newspaper of that name, founded in 1928 by William Alexander Scott II, a Morehouse College graduate. The newspaper is the city's oldest continually operating African-American newspaper. While the newspaper has moved their offices to Peachtree Street in Atlanta, the building has been adaptively re-used. The building almost was lost to demolition in 2012, when the tornado-damaged, vacant structure was going to make way for a new residential complex with 91 units. Thankfully, the Atlanta Urban Design Commission denied the plans, leading to the building's reuse as two condominiums upstairs and two commercial spaces on the ground floor.

Atlanta Daily World

The Royal Peacock began as The Top Hat Club in 1938, but it was widely known as Club Beautiful by it's patrons. &nbsp;Even when it first began it was a very popular club for the city's African Americans. &nbsp;Like many of the businesses in the Sweet Auburn district it was also a Black-owned business from it's very beginning. &nbsp;In the early days the advertisements ran&nbsp;“The Top Hat, Bringing Harlem to Atlanta Thursday and Friday nights,” and in many ways it did just that. &nbsp;The cultural influence of African American musicians both on Atlanta's Black and white communities is an important part of African American history for the city. &nbsp;Venues like the The Royal Peacock mark a history of Black pride and increasing cultural diversity in America. During the days of segregation in America, it was sometimes popular for white audiences to watch Black performers where Black patrons would not be accepted. &nbsp;There are many stories of nightclubs in Harlem where performers would be treated badly, asked to come in back entrances, and refused service at the very same venues where their white fan bases were the biggest. &nbsp;Most performers would endure these indignities because they needed to make a living. &nbsp;In the South some venues resisted the popularity of African American musicians entirely. &nbsp;Performers shared with each other which places they would be accepted so that they could tour the South safely. These venues became known colloquially as "The Chitlin' Circuit," and The Royal Peacock was a big name on the circuit. &nbsp;This venue was typically open to mixed audiences but actually saw the necessity to allow whites only on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the early 1950s. &nbsp; Some of the performers to entertain at the Royal Peacock included: <ul><li>Ray Charles</li></ul><ul><li>Marvin Gaye </li></ul><ul><li>Aretha Franklin </li></ul><ul><li>Dizzy Gillespie </li></ul><ul><li>Bessie Smith </li></ul><ul><li>Louis Armstrong </li></ul><ul><li>B.B. King</li></ul><ul><li>The Supremes</li></ul><ul><li>Gladys Knight and the Pips (Gladys was a local born Atlantan).&nbsp;</li></ul>The Royal Peacock also hosted such celebrities as&nbsp;Joe Loius, Jackie Robinson and Muhummad Ali&nbsp;during their time in Atlanta.

The Royal Peacock, located in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn historic district, opened in 1937 as the "Top Hat Club". The club was widely known as "Club Beautiful" and became one of the most popular clubs in the country for African Americans. The club was purchased by Carrie B. Cunningham, operator of the "Royal Hotel and Restaurant," in 1949 and renamed "The Royal Peacock." Shows scheduled on Wednesday and Saturday nights were reserved for whites only. The club is still in operation today and has hosted a number of musicians including  Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, the Supremes, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. 

The Royal Peacock

&nbsp;&nbsp; After sit-ins occurred to
fight segregation at local businesses and services in Greensboro, North
Carolina in February of 1960, SNCC was formed in Raleigh in April.&nbsp;The
organization was formed at Shaw University under the supervision of Ella Baker.
Through a request made by Baker, the organization was made possible by Martin
Luther King Jr.’s $800.00 donation to help the new group get
started.&nbsp;Baker was no stranger to civil rights activism; she was the NAACP
Director of Branches during the 1940s, she was involved in the creation of the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and served as the SCLC's
executive director when the sit-in movement became popular.&nbsp;While she praised
the sit-in method to integrate local businesses, Baker hoped to expand SNCC's
efforts in the Civil Rights Movement to address issues on the grassroots
level.&nbsp;With her assistance, SNCC established a direct-action policy that
took the form of sit-ins and voter registration. 
&nbsp; SNCC gained national attention when its
members participated in the Freedom Rides of 1961 which sought to enforce the
integration of buses in response to the 1960 Supreme Court ruling that
segregated interstate transportation facilities are unconstitutional. When the
rides began the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) originally led the movement,
but when segregationists attacked the riders in Alabama SNCC members from Nashville
stepped in to complete the rides. After the Freedom Rides, SNCC participated in
voting rights efforts in McComb, Mississippi and fought against segregation
in Albany, Georgia as part of the Albany Movement. Along with these specific events,
SNCC participated in marches such as the 1963 March on Washington with King and
the SCLC.&nbsp;

In 1964, 3 SNCC members were killed by
KKK members in the Mississippi Freedom Summer.&nbsp;
The Mississippi Freedom Summer was an attempt by civil rights activists
from all over the country to register as many African Americans as possible to
vote in the state of Mississippi. The same year SNCC backed the creation of the
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party which defied the validity of Mississippi’s
all white Democratic party. Despite this, the Democratic National Convention
decided to keep an all-white Mississippi delegation.&nbsp;After this loss, SNCC
and other organizations like the SCLC participated in the 1965 Selma to
Montgomery March causing more conflict among SNCC members and the SCLC. SNCC
started to question their non-violent policy after the violence they experienced
in the march and further questioned the participation of whites in the civil
rights efforts. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; In 1966 Stokely Carmichael was chosen
as SNCC's new chairman causing further tension with other organizations such as
the SCLC. He introduced the idea of "Black power" to describe a new philosophy
of taking care of oneself and of a willingness to protect oneself by any means
necessary.&nbsp;In addition, Carmichael’s new ideology excluded the assistance
of white people in civil rights efforts. Carmichael also brought attention to
the hardships experienced in Black urban cities. The Black power ideology moved
SNCC away from its racial inclusiveness and its non-violent doctrine, preparing
it to meet violence with violence if necessary. These ideas led to a split from
the SCLC. While Carmichael proposed these ideas as the group’s chair, members
of SNCC could not agree on the ideology and direction SNCC should take. Causing
further problems, in 1967 H. Rap Brown took Carmichael's place and emphasized a
radical use of violence that led to fires and chaos that summer leading to Brown’s
arrest. Between negative national attention from this use of violence, internal
fighting, and a falling out with its former allies such as the SCLC, SNCC
ceased to exist after the 1960s.

.

In April of 1960 SNCC was created to fight segregation using non-violence and direct action in conjunction with other prominent civil rights organizations and leaders such as the SCLC and Martin Luther King Jr. Their national office was located in Atlanta, Georgia, and the organization included mostly students and other young people. Like the SCLC, SNCC received national attention for its civil rights efforts and achievements, but as the civil rights movement continued a change in the organization’s leadership and philosophy led to SNCC’s decline. By the end of the 1960s SNCC was no longer in existence but its legacy continues today.  


Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) National Office

The building housing Big Bethel A.M.E. Church on Auburn Avenue was built by 1891 of rough-hewn granite. The Romanesque Revival style church has been a prominent landmark in this predominantly African-American neighborhood. The building is shown on an 1899 map as still being under construction, with no roof (see the Sanborn Fire Insurance map image). The "Big" Bethel building replaced the existing, brick building of the Bethel A.M.E. Church next door, to the west; the brick building featured a 50-foot tower on the Auburn Avenue side of the structure. The brick structure measured 20 feet up to the eaves and was heated by stoves; this building no longer stands. Both churches were noted on the map as "Colored." The National Archives contains a letter written after the Civil War by members of the congregation, requesting federal funds as reparations to rebuild their church. Their church building had been destroyed by Union soldiers when Atlanta was an occupied town, and $7,000 was asked for. Since a number of the signers used an X and someone else wrote their names, an archivist thinks many of the signers were former slaves. The Big Bethel AME Church has been the location of pioneering efforts in African-American education. The first public school for African-Americans in the city, the Gate City Colored School, was established in the Bethel basement (of the former brick building). The school later moved nearby to Houston Street. Morris Brown College held classes in the basement of the former church in 1881 before establishing itself elsewhere. The college is the only one in Georgia founded solely by African-Americans. The church has served as the center of local community gatherings, earning the nickname "Sweet Auburn's City Hall." President Taft spoke from the pulpit of the church in 1911. The church survived a fire in 1917 that destroyed many nearby buildings. Only one of the exterior walls (the west wall, closest to the organ) had to be rebuilt after a 1920 fire. The church interior and steeples were rebuilt by 1924. The church steeple includes a lighted cross with the message "Jesus Saves." The stained glass windows in the balcony honor founders Bishop Richard Allen, Bishop Henry M. Turner, and Bishop Joseph S. Flipper. In modern times, the church has had the honor of hosting speeches by Nelson Mandela in 1990 and others. The current pastor is the Reverend John Foster, Ph.D., who has combined careers in the clergy and as a professor of electrical engineering and computer science or administrative dean at a number of institutions of higher learning. The church is part of the Sweet Auburn Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, listed in 1976. The church was mentioned in the news recently. The congregation is helping to support the renovation of a 16-story high-rise built in 1972 that overlooks Auburn Avenue and Georgia State University. Bethel Towers' occupants include a number of low-income residents.

Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1847 and is the oldest predominantly African-American congregation in the Metro Atlanta area. Reverend Joseph Woods was appointed the first pastor of the reorganized Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta in 1866.The Big Bethel AME Church building on Auburn Avenue was completed by 1891; the former church building (just Bethel, without the "Big") was a brick building immediately to the west, which no longer stands. Most of Big Bethel's interior was destroyed by fire in 1920 and rebuilt. All but one of the outer walls of the massive stone building are original. 

Big Bethel AME Church

John Wesley Dobbs grew up poor in rural Georgia. He almost dropped out of school due to finances in fifth grade but was able to find work that allowed him to continue his education. Dobbs moved to Atlanta when he was fifteen, where he continued schooling until leaving temporarily to care for his mother who was ill and living in Savannah, Georgia. He never was able to finish the degree he started at Morehouse College. Dobbs became a postal clerk in Atlanta in 1903 and married Irene O. Thompson in 1906. The couple went on to have six daughters, all of whom graduated from Spelman College. Dobbs became involved with a Black fraternal organization, the Prince Hall Masons, in 1911. Dobbs became the Grand Warden of the Prince Hall Masons in 1914 and the Grand Master in 1932; he held the latter position for the rest of his life. Dobbs is credited with coming up with the name "Sweet Auburn" for Auburn Avenue and was informally known as the "Mayor of Auburn Avenue." Dobbs made an impassioned, two-hour speech in 1936 at Big Bethel A.M.E. Church on Auburn Avenue, urging Atlanta's Blacks to awaken their political consciousness. He proposed the formation of the Atlanta Civic and Political League, with a goal to register 10,000 voters. Dobbs formed the Atlanta Negro Voters League with an attorney, A.T. Walden, in 1946. The All Citizens Registration Committee formed at the same time. Through their combined efforts, 18,000 voters were added to the rolls in two months. Another of Dobbs' causes was the integration of the police force of the City of Atlanta. Mayor Hartsfield assigned the first Black police officers to the city's forces in 1948. The eight new hires were stationed in the basement of the Butler Street YMCA and were not given the power to arrest White citizens. The mayor kept one more promise to the voters and installed street lights along Auburn Avenue in 1949. Dobbs lived to see the first day of integration of the public schools in Atlanta, dying that very night in 1961. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at Dobbs' funeral. Houston Street in downtown Atlanta was renamed John Wesley Dobbs Avenue in 1994 by his grandson, Maynard Jackson, Jr., before he left office as Mayor of the city. Maynard was the son of Rennie Dobbs Jackson. John Wesley Dobbs Plaza opened in 1996, the year that the city hosted the Olympics. The site formerly held the St. Paul Episcopal Church until it relocated in 1969, leaving a vacant lot; a highway overpass now neighbors the plaza. The bronze image of Dobbs in the plaza is hollowed out, in the Nigerian traditional way of creating face masks. The sculpture allows visitors to climb up to the eyes, to literally "look through his eyes" down his beloved Auburn Avenue. The piece is seven feet tall and the work of sculptor Ralph Helmick. The former mayor and grandson of Dobbs attended the opening ceremonies. The plaza was honored with a design award in 1997 from the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. In the words of John Wesley Dobbs, "Get the vote and the dollar and you'll walk in Jerusalem just like John."

John Wesley Dobbs Plaza occupies the corner of Auburn Avenue and Fort Street in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. Dobbs was born in Marietta, Georgia in 1882 and grew up in a poor rural community. Dobbs moved to Atlanta when he was fifteen. By the 1930's, Dobbs was a local voice for increasing voter registration in the African-American community. He died in 1961, twelve years before his grandson, Maynard Jackson, Jr., was elected the first African-American mayor of Atlanta. The plaza named for Dobbs opened in 1996 and features an interactive bronze sculpture where you can "see through his eyes" along Auburn Avenue.

John Wesley Dobbs Plaza

In 1955 the Montgomery Bus Boycott
started when activist Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white
man.&nbsp;In response to her arrest in December of 1955, other activists started a
boycott of the city's bus system in an attempt to integrate it. The boycott lasted for 381 days, ending in a
victory for the activists in December of 1956.&nbsp;The organizer of the
boycott was the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) with Martin Luther
King Jr. as its president and Ralph David Abernathy as its program
director.&nbsp;The boycott gained extensive attention for its successful
practice of non-violent protest, and it inspired African Americans to fight
harder for their civil rights in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

After the success in Montgomery, the MIA
saw a need to create an organization that would oversee civil rights activities in the South; between January 10-11, 1957 the MIA, Martin Luther King Jr., and other
civil rights activists created the Southern Leadership Conference on
Transportation and Nonviolent Integration.&nbsp;This important decision was
made in Atlanta by 60 people from 10 different states.&nbsp;The new group believed
that civil rights were an important part of government, that segregation had to
end, and that African Americans must nonviolently fight against
segregation.&nbsp;In February of 1957 the group's name was changed to the
Southern Leadership Conference, created an Executive Board of Directors, and
chose officers such as Martin Luther King Jr. for president, Ralph David
Abernathy for Financial Secretary Treasurer, Rev. C. K. Steele for Vice
President, Rev. T.J. Jeminson for Secretary, and Attorney I.M. Augustine for
General Counsel. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; During its first convention in August
of 1957, the organization's name changed again to the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference.&nbsp;At this convention, the elected leaders set a
platform for the group's mission.&nbsp;They decided that non-violent mass action
was key to achieving its civil rights mission, that they should work with local
grassroots organizations throughout the South, and that the group should not
discriminate against any person, that instead it should include people of all
ethnicities and religions.&nbsp;From this point on, the SCLC was present in
nonviolent protests such as sit-ins and marches in the late 1950s and
1960s.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Today
the SCLC has expanded its scope to protect the human rights of all people
across the nation, not just the South. More specifically its three
campaigns are The International Poor People’s Campaign, Justice for Girls, and
Kingian Non-Violence Training. The International Poor People’s campaign is an
attempt to eliminate the existence of poverty around the world and was actually created by Martin Luther King Jr. in the organization’s earlier days. Justice For Girls brings attention to the human
trafficking that exists within the United States, sharing the stories of young
girls who have been victims of this crime with the hope to eliminate it. The Kingian
Non-Violence Training is an effort to persuade people to adopt a non-violent
ideology to solve injustices across the country. This training follows the non-violence philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr.

This is the national office of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) founded in 1957 by civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King created the organization to help religious men such as himself fight for the civil rights of all people, especially African Americans, in the U.S. Although the SCLC did not directly organize protests against the ongoing segregation in the South, they supported non-violent direct action groups such as SNCC who did organize these protests. Through its non-violent philosophy and its presence in the background of these protests, the SCLC became one of the leading civil rights organizations in the 1960s. The organization is still in existence today and is designed to protect the human rights of all Americans inside and outside of the South.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) National Office

<div>The Sweet Auburn Historic District, located along a 1.5 mile stretch of Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta, highlights the history and achievements of Atlanta's African American population. Civic leader and activist John Wesley Dobbs, the unofficial mayor of Auburn Avenue, referred to the area as the "richest Negro street in the world" and the district subsequently became known as "Sweet Auburn." A number of historic places are located within Sweet Auburn, including the King Center for Non-Violent Social Change, Ebenezer Baptist Church, MLK Jr.'s birth home, the Royal Peacock, and many more. The Sweet Auburn Historic District is located along Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta. Though it is only a mile or so long it is filled with sites important to African American history.&nbsp;</div><div>The name Sweet Auburn comes from John Wesley Dobbs who also called it the "richest Negro street in the world." Sweet Auburn formed in the era of Jim Crow laws that forced African Americans out of other parts of town. &nbsp;Most businesses in the South would not allow African Americans to work or receive equal services, so some entrepreneurs formed their own businesses. &nbsp;One of the most important of these was the Atlanta Life Insurance company.</div><div> </div><div>&nbsp; Alonzo Herndon began the Atlanta Life Insurance Company in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. &nbsp;Herndon ran barber shops in Atlanta and developed a considerable string of businesses. &nbsp;He invested in real estate and by 1900 owned more property than any other African American in Atlanta. &nbsp;He became Atlanta's first Black millionaire after founding the Atlanta Life Insurance Company.</div><div> </div><div>&nbsp; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's home church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and his birth home are both located in this historic part of town as well. &nbsp;Several other sites in the area, including King Center for Non-Violent Social Change, Center For Civil And Human Rights, and The MLK Jr. National Park pay homage to this great historic leader. &nbsp;King was born here in 1929 and named Micheal Luther King Jr, later changing his name. King's grandfather served as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church from 1914-1931 when King's father took over the role. King graduated from a segregated high school at the age of 15 and earned his B.A. from the historically Black Morehouse College in 1948. &nbsp;In the early 1953 King married his wife, Coretta Scott King, and in 1954 he became a minister of Drexel Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. &nbsp;It was in highly segregated Montgomery that King gained notice for his work with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. &nbsp;King's leadership in non-violent protests in the 1950s and 60's changed the country and the world. &nbsp;Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was tragically assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. &nbsp;</div><div> </div><div>The Sweet Auburn district is also home to the Royal Peacock Club, a historic cultural hub of African American life in Atlanta. &nbsp;The club has been known as The Top Hat Club and Club Beautiful in its past but has continued running in some incarnation since the 1920s. &nbsp;Such musicians as Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, the Supremes, and Gladys Knight and the Pips all played the Royal Peacock, and celebrities such as Joe Loius, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali could be found there when in Atlanta. &nbsp;During the Royal Peacock's history in the 1950s, Wednesdays and Saturdays were reserved for whites only and the former owner ran a hotel for visiting Black performers who would not be able to stay in white-only hotels.</div>

Constructed in 1937 under the leadership of Mason and community leader John Wesley Dobbs, this building was home to one of the most important secular organizations in Atlanta's Black community. Dobbs used this building as his headquarters throughout the 1930, 40s, and 50s, a time when he negotiated with the city's political leaders on behalf of the city's African American residents. The building was also the home of WERD radio in the 1950s. Established in the 1920s, WERD was the first Black-owned raido station. The building later housed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the civil rights organization formed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  

 Prince Hall Masonic Building

The museum was created in 2004 by the current museum curator, Ricci Deforest.  Born by the name of Sarah Breedlove, Madame CJ Walker would go on to become the first African American woman to become a millionaire entirely by herself. Suffering from a scalp disease, Walker created hair treatment products for African American women in the early 1900s. She sold them locally before traveling throughout the region, performing hands-on hair treatments to show the unique qualities of her products. Walker established a laboratory and taught beauticians how to deliver and promote her products in their homes and salons.       In Walker's early life, she escaped an oppressive situation. She later met and married a man by the name of Moses McWilliams. After having a child with McWilliams, she was widowed and moved to St. Louis to work with her brothers in a barbershop. She earned enough to support her daughter and eventually met her second husband, Charles J. Walker. Mr. Walker saw the value of Walker's products and encouraged to start her own business in the beauty industry.     Madam C.J. Walker's success allowed her to become the first completely self-made female African American millionaire. Walker gave generously, donating money to support scholarship funds, helping the elderly, and becoming the largest single donor to the NAACP's anti-lynching campaign. She was also the largest single donor to the African American YMCA in Indianapolis. Prior to being a museum for Made CJ Walker, the location was home to WERD. "Jesse B. Blayton Sr. of Fallis, Oklahoma was the first owner of WERD radio in Atlanta. Blayton began his career as an accountant upon the completion of his degree from the University of Chicago. After finishing his degree, he became the first Black Certified Public Accountant in the United States in 1928. At this time, he was only the fourth Black person in the U.S. to have achieved this accolade. With this certification below his belt, he decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia to open his own practice as a CPA. With such a small number of Black people entering this field, Blayton decided to teach accounting at Atlanta University, what is now Clark Atlanta University. After having multiple intentional conversations with his students, he realized that the lack of Black people in this field of work was due to the inherent racism many white CPAs had towards Black people. Because the students he taught were discouraged from becoming accountants, he decided there had to be another way to reach and engage the Black community, especially with only seven Black people having CPAs at this time in the United States (Manos, 2009).     In 1949, Jesse Blayton decided to purchase a station for $50,000 as a way to reach out and interact with younger crowds of Black kids. On October 3rd, 1949, WERD was officially the first Black-owned radio station on the air (New York Daily, 1999). This first station was located at 54 Hilliard St NE, inside of the Prince Hall Masons Grand Lodge. Upon opening the station, Jesse Blayton hired his son Jesse Jr. as the manager of the station. Jesse Jr. was responsible for hiring the “Four Horsemen” of the station. This included Jack Gibson, Jimmy Winnington, Joe Howard, and Roosevelt Johnson. Gibson acted as the Disk Jockey for the Station, while Howard, Johnson, and Winnington planned to program for the station. The Four Horsemen became some of the most popular radio personalities of the 1950s (Manos, 2009). Blayton Jr. also bought in a fifth employee, Ken Knight, who acted as the program director for the station. Most of the programming put in place was to attract and inform Black people about what was going on in Atlanta (Etling 2005). Blayton liked to reference the style of WERD as “Negro Appeal” (Manos, 2009). Blayton Sr. had now fulfilled his vision, which was “My purpose is to put on programs which will aid in creating more goodwill between the races in this area. And I wish to say that my desire is to create that goodwill within the existing pattern of this community. I believe strongly in this pattern and am going to do everything I can to maintain it and strengthen it.” (Madam Museum, 2020)     Due to the state America was in during the creation of WERD, Blayton was faced with many obstacles in making his vision come true. When purchasing this station, he was only allowed to be in the air from sunrise to sunset. This was not the case for other white-owned stations. Those stations were allowed to be on air at all times of the day, with little to no restrictions. Not only was Blayton faced with limited air time, but he also had limited frequency power to reach his audience (Amer, 2016). The radio signal was strong enough to reach most of the city, but as it began to reach more suburban areas, the signal got weaker and weaker. At this time, Atlanta had a population of approximately 331,000 people. Out of this 331,000 people, 35% of this population was Black people. This means that WERD had the opportunity to reach about 116,000 Black people through their airwaves (Madam Museum, 2020).      With WERD growing in popularity among the Black Community, many Black leaders, especially those located in Atlanta, would use this station as a platform to communicate messages to the community. This station played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement, as it had a largely Black audience to spread news and messages to. Its location in the Masonic Lodge made it very convenient for big names in the Civil Rights Movement to have access to being on air from this station. This lodge was also the home to the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), whose vice president was none other than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. himself (Manos, 2009). Many members of the SCLC would freely walk over to WERD to relay messages or even just to sit in on sessions. Not only was this a space to disseminate information to the Black community, but it was also a place of fellowship for people who cared about the well-being of Black people. In this period of time, there were not a lot of places where Black people were freely allowed to engage in activities that white people got to participate in as well, nor were they allowed to use the same facilities as white people. Aside from being a place to get business done, WERD allowed shows to be held in this building as a way for Black people to showcase their talent in a safe place (Amer, 2016).     There is a lot of history held in this building. If it were not for the initiation of Jesse B. Blayton saw a need for this type of comradery in the Black community, then there is no way of knowing how long Black people would have gone without a radio station that was for them and by them. This was the start of something new, causing more Black people to get involved with radio and broadcasting. As of 2021, there are over 168 Black-owned radio stations in the United States alone. They all have a similar goal in bringing together Black people by the music and activism, just as Jesse Blayton had for his station in 1949. Jesse Blayton took the first step that has led the Black community into a new area and profession. Jesse B. Blayton was a pioneer in radio ownership and if it weren't for him, we would not be as far along in this industry as we are today.If you would like to visit WERD radio station, which is now a museum for Madame CJ Walker, it is located at 54 Hilliard St NE Atlanta, Ga 30303. You can also visit their Facebook page for updates on upcoming events @themadamemuseum." -Kaniya Bates

Located in the original beauty shop operated by a licensee of entrepreneur Madame CJ Walker in the 1950s, this small museum preserves the history of Walker's business and her many accomplishments. The building also houses Atlanta's WERD Radio--the first Black-owned station in North America. On October 3rd, 1949, WERD was officially the first Black-owned radio station on the air (New York Daily, 1999). This first station was located at 54 Hilliard St NE, inside of the Prince Hall Masons Grand Lodge. This entry discusses both Madame CJ Walker and the history of WERD.

The Madame CJ Walker Museum and WERD Radio

Wheat Street church was founded in 1869 when a group of parishioners from First Street Baptist wanted a church that was in closer proximity to their neighborhood. Originally Mt. Pleasant Church, it was moved to&nbsp;the present location after the "Great Fire of Atlanta"&nbsp;destroyed the original building in 1917. Throughout the years the church had seven pastors, but Reverend William Holmes Borders brought a vast knowledge of financial stability and spiritual profoundness to the church.&nbsp; His ideas brought prosperity and opportunity to a community in need.&nbsp;Reverend Borders was a well known and influential civil rights leader. &nbsp;When he became the pastor in 1937, the church was in debt with a declining congregation. &nbsp;Under Borders' leadership, the debt was settled in just a few years and the congregation grew exponentially. While the elderly members were opposed to it, Holmes believed in reaching out to the community in all places and often recruited members in places such as taverns and pool halls. Through Borders' efforts the church became a light of hope and connected a community who had faced great adversity and economic depression. The community faced a blight when a freeway project split the neighborhood in two. &nbsp;The church responded by creating a credit union in 1956 to give African Americans economic opportunity they had never been granted. &nbsp;Later a charitable organization was founded to provide affordable housing for the elderly and single families. &nbsp;This innovative approach led&nbsp;to economic growth and Black entrepreneurism. By 1999 the church had 33 million dollars in real-estate holdings and became one of the wealthiest African American churches in the country. In 1957, Borders and other Black ministers boarded a city bus and took seats in the front. &nbsp;When they refused to move to the back, the driver returned the bus to the barn. This event had been scripted and planned. The group notified Mayor Harfsfield of the planned event and asked for his support in facilitating a peaceful arrest. &nbsp;Atlanta's buses remained segregated for another two years before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ministers, ending one of the most symbolic features of Atlanta's Jim Crow social system. Borders was also instrumental in the hiring of Atlanta's first Black police officers in the 1940s. &nbsp;His unorthodox approach and achievements made waves throughout the community and he was regarded as one of the best administrators and&nbsp;orators&nbsp;in Black history.&nbsp;He remained an influential leader until his death in 1993.

The Wheat Street Baptist Church is a historic church located in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta,Georgia.  This historical location is adjacent to the Martin Luther King, Jr historical district.  Established just a few years after the Civil war ended, it served as a spiritual, civil, and social beacon for the African American community. Under the leadership of Reverend William Holmes Borders the church became the largest and wealthiest African American church in the United States.  Borders was a well known civil leader and was very passionate in reaching out to the oppressed.  His influence changed segregation laws and  provided economic growth and opportunity for the Black community.

Wheat Street Baptist Church

Additional Information Ebenezer Baptist Church, now maintained by the National Park Service, was a major influence in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life. It was here that he was baptized, delivered his first sermon, served as a pastor, and was eulogized at his funeral service. King’s maternal grandfather, Rev. A.D. Williams, and his father, Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr., led the church for 81 consecutive years between 1894 and 1975. They focused on uplifting the spiritual, social, economic, educational, and political spirits of their congregations. Dr. King, Jr. became a co-pastor of Ebenezer in 1960 and remained in that position until his death in 1968. Thanks to a Save America's Treasures grant and the contributions of many individuals and corporations, the National Park Service has restored historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.Restoration ProjectThe National Park Service undertook a full-scale renovation of the property in 2001 after securing funds via a Save America's Treasures Grant and numerous contributions from both private individuals and corporations. The restoration project was divided into two phases. Phase I of the project was completed at a cost of $1, 885,000 and included the installation of basic systems such as electrical service, heating/air conditioning, and a fire suppression system. Moreover, repairs were made to the structure's roof, the outdoor sign was restored, and a chair lift was added to the building. The second phase of the renovation project has not begun to date, but will include a restoration of the fellowship hall and sanctuary to its appearance when MLK Jr. served in the church.

Ebenezer Baptist Church, located in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn Historic District, has been a community staple for more than one hundred years. Martin Luther King, Jr. became co-pastor of the church alongside his father in 1960. He remained in that position until his death in 1968. The National Park Service began restoring the building in 2001.

Ebenezer Baptist Church

<div><div>The first level of the house is comprised of a front porch, parlor, study, dining rooms, kitchen, laundry, bedroom and bathroom. The second level includes four bedrooms and a bathroom.&nbsp; Established on October 10, 1980, the 35-acre Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site includes several landmarks related to Dr. Martin Luther King's life. These sites collectively tell the story of King's life and the historical struggle of African Americans in the 1950s and 1960s. The National Historic site includes King's boyhood home on Auburn Avenue and Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Sr. pastored.&nbsp;</div></div>

This historic home was constructed in 1895 and is located one block east of the Ebenezer Baptist Church where King's father served as pastor. Dr. King's grandparents bought the house for $3,500 in 1909 and Martin Luther King Jr. was born in the house in 1929. The King family moved in 1941. Shortly after that time, the house was converted into a two-family home. 

A visit to the home starts with the Visitor's Center at 449 Auburn Avenue, which was built in 1996. The Visitor's Center tour starts with the multimedia exhibit "Courage to Lead" which provides an overview of King's life and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Tour guides walk visitors to the home and provide unique stories about King's boyhood and later life. 

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Boyhood Home

Additional Information&nbsp; The King Center offers a digital archive (linked below) that includes nearly one million documents related to King's life and legacy.&nbsp;

The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change was established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King to be a living memorial and tribute to MLK Jr. The center is both a traditional museum and memorial as well as a center for social change in Atlanta. Approximately one million individuals pass through the King center annually. 

The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change

Fire Station No. 6 has stood on the corner of Boulevard Street and Auburn Avenue since 1894. The two-story, red brick building opened on May 31st of that year. The need for a fire station is obvious when viewing a map of the neighborhood from 1899; the fire station was one of the only brick buildings, surrounded by several blocks of wood frame structures (see the Sanborn Fire Insurance map picture). A marble plaque on the building is dedicated to the Board of Firemasters and mentions the mayor, John B. Goodwin, and the chief, W. R. Joyner. The Atlanta Volunteer Fire Department became the Atlanta Fire Department in 1882, when the City Council voted to pay salaries to its firemen. The first motorized pumping engine was housed at Fire Station No. 12 in 1911 on DeKalb Avenue. In 1914, the city began purchasing uniforms, helmets, coats, and rubber boots for the firefighters. The last horses used to pull fire wagons were retired in 1918. The first sixteen African-American firemen hired by the city began work at Station No. 16 on Simpson Road in 1963, but worked alone. A few years later, Fire Station No. 6 was the first in the city to be racially integrated; the station closed in 1991. The museum now occupying Fire Station No. 6 includes an antique fire engine from 1927, an American LaFrance labeled "A.F.D. No. 6." The fire engine, in use until the 1950s, was going to be scrapped but was salvaged. The museum tells the story of how early warnings of fire were transferred by telegraph from numbered call boxes distributed throughout the city. Exhibits on racial and gender integration of the city's firefighting forces also are displayed. The first female firefighters joined the Atlanta FD in 1977. The National Park Service holds special events in January in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In 2020, Fire Station No. 6 was the site of special programs for children, including arts and crafts, games, a photo booth, and the Park's Junior Ranger Program.

Fire Station No. 6 was built in 1894 to serve the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. The building is part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and is the oldest standing firehouse in Atlanta. As a young man, Martin Luther King, Jr. played basketball behind the firehouse. The station was the first to be integrated with White and Black firefighters working together in the 1960s. The building housed an active Atlanta Fire Department unit until 1991. The fire station now houses a museum on early firefighting history and desegregation of the firefighting forces in Atlanta. The building also includes a gift shop/ bookstore. The National Park Service opens the building when park volunteers are available.

Auburn Avenue and Atlanta's African American History

Herndon Building

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information