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David Goldman / AP
The residential portion of the Sweet Auburn Historic District, including the home where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was born at right. Today Auburn Avenue is a shell of its former self, the bustling mix of banks, night clubs, churches, meat markets and funeral homes long gone, replaced with crumbling facades and cracked sidewalks. Hundreds of thousands of people still flock to Auburn Avenue to see King's birth home, the church where he preached and the crypt where he and his wife, Coretta, are buried. But tourists have little reason to linger. While King's legacy has been preserved, Auburn Avenue's business community has never recovered from the exodus of the black community that supported it. This week, the area was placed on the National Register of Historic Places' 11 Most Endangered list for the second time since 1992 in hopes of spurring preservation-oriented development.
David Goldman / AP
Tourists visit the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta.
David Goldman / AP
A visitor stands before the crypt of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta, along Auburn Avenue.
David Goldman / AP
A man walks under the Interstate 75/85 overpass whose construction cut the Auburn neighborhood in half.
David Goldman / AP
National Park Rangers stand outside the original Atlanta Life Insurance Company building on Auburn Avenue, dating back to 1905.
David Goldman / AP
A man walks down the street after asking club goers for spare change in the Auburn Avenue district.
David Goldman / AP
A man pushes a stroller across Auburn Avenue.
AP reports that the neighborhood is caught between preservation and development:
"If we lose any more historic fabric, Auburn Avenue will probably lose its historic designation. You can't just have a few buildings left," said Mtaminika Youngblood, chairwoman of the Historic District Development Corporation, which has shepherded the restoration of the area for more than two decades.
Generations ago, much of Auburn Avenue's prosperity was born out of necessity, a product of segregation. The downtown thoroughfare anchored a community of homes and businesses that depended on each other.
See more images related to civil rights in PhotoBlog.
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More proof that Obama must go ASAP ....
Obama did not cause this; but he ain't fixed it either.
Liberal do gooder policies from LBJ to Nixon, to Carter and Clinton caused this mess. Half a century after the War on Poverty, we can announce that poverty won.
In 1960, 28% of African Americans were born out of wedlock. Today, it is 75%. In many urban school districts, half of the kids don't graduate high school.
Throwing government money at problems simply does not work. We have a plantation society dependent on Uncle Sam for their food, housing, health care and education. This is the result.
Democrats are more racist than Republicans. Republicans want to get these people off welfare and revitalize these neighborhoods. Democrats want to keep things just they way they are.
If you want real change, vote for Romney. Let's get 60 GOP Senators and see where we can take America!
Nixon wasn't a liberal.
WTF does this have to do with Obama?
Gary,
I'm a social liberal, fiscal conservative. I consider myself to be on the left on most issues.
Having said that, I don't think I could have made a better post than what you just said.
Look, the proof is in the pudding. Just like the war on drugs has failed, so too has the war on poverty. The practices and policies we have in place simply do not work.
We have to make fundamental changes to the wellfare-state mentality that we have created.
I agree with Gary and Chad.
The more the government pays people to make bad decisions, the more bad decisions they can make. The longer the government pays people to make bad decisions, the longer they will be able to make bad decisions. This has been proven over and over. More of the same hand holding is not the solution.
Well, Bush didn't do anything about it, neither did his daddy, nor Reagan. what's your point. Do you really care about the plight of the inner city or are you just using this platform to advance your own political agenda?
The House of Representatives is majority Republican as we speak. What, if anything have they done to create jobs in the last two years? Republicans held the White house for 20 of the last 32 years. What did they do? What has changed since 1980? Reagan couldn't even remember if he changed into clean underwear. Bush Sr. did absolutely nothing but get us into a 30 year war with Iraq. Bush Jr. only furthered his daddy's agenda. Fact is, Republicans were in control much longer than Democrats over the last 30 years and they have not done a thing to better this country. You want to blame Democrats? Go ahead, but Republicans are not innocent in all this.
Chris - you do realize that almost every single blighted city is controlled by democrats and has been for decades? So what have THEY done to help those people? Take Newark, NJ for instance. Sharpe James was the mayor of Newark for 21 years. He never held any job outside of politics except GYM TEACHER and yet he somehow became a multi-millionaire while in office, owning several lavish homes, very expensive cars, a d*mn yacht, etc. etc. etc. Funny how that all happened at the same time as BILLIONS of suburban taxpyaer dollars were pumped into that city - and yet it's still largely a hell hole and almost nothing to show for all that money - except a very rich former mayor.
I agree with you that much more could have been and should have been done at the federal level by republicans. BUT the ONLY thing they SHOULD have done was to CUT welfare programs. And every time republicans try and do that, people like YOU start screaming about how evil republicans are, and how they are the party of "NO". Does that ring any bells for you? Hmmm?
What makes anything about this political at all? I think all political parties should be disbanded and the entire process RETHOUGHT as its so outdated to catagorize our government like this. 1% of our population has 50% of the money. And thats doing WHAT? Buying political favor. Is it fixing historical locations such as this? Nope.
Why is our economy so bad? Not Obamas fault, not Bush nor any other president who is simply a figurehead. Its because we IMPORT far more then we Export by a VAST majority AND corporate heads are getting HUGH amounts of money for a "Salary".
THE solution for this problem AND our nations horrible Economy?
LIMIT the Imports! OMG this is draining all our money!
And our OWN greed!
The WEALTHY tone down the greed and GIVE, without requirement of payback.
THINK about it, ONE multibillionare has enough funds to give every Adult in America below a certain measured threshold One Million Dollars. EVERY one! And every one will buy a new Home (Home Market fixed) Every one will buy one or two new cars (Car market fixed) And every one will bank a bit for Retirement (Banking Fixed). Will it cause waves? Oh yes, it will. But once the frenzy settles our economy will be SO much Grander!
Then for certain historical locations like this will recieve the funds from the public to make it right again. We have to stop thinking the Government is going to save us...
The Democratic Party is more for the People of the US; whereas the Republic Party is for the Power Structure of the US. Why is this so hard for some of you to understand. If our president was totally of the caucasian race, he would be deemed the Best Damned President that the United States Ever Had.
I don't agree with everything thing that Obama does; however, something would be seriously wrong with me if I did. Where is it written that anyone agrees with everything that someone does?
Do you agree with everything that your parents do? Grands? Relatives? Bosses? Siblings? Childrens'. Do you even sometimes raise your eyebrow to some of the things in the Bible?
If any of you feel that you could do a better job as President; Please run campaign for this Leadership Role.
Until then, Get A Life, Be Supported, Live and Let Live. Have a Blessed Day, and I do truly mean it!
WTF? How is that relevant, other than the fact that you're moronic?
Well, Obama didn't create all those problems - but Democrats in general sure did.
I live in NJ, and our cities have been dominated by Democrats for decades - and things NEVER get better for those people, only worse. NJ's cities are almost all armpits populated mostly by gang members, welfare recipients and homeless people. Our city governments are easily the most corrupt in the state. The vast majority of our failing schools are located in our cities and most of the students are black and hispanic, far too many of them coming from completely dsyfunctional families headed by single women who dropped out of school and had multiple children with multiple men, and who have no interest in and no ability to parent properly. And those schools are failing in spite of the fact that BILLIONS of suburban taxpayer dollars have been pumped into them for over two decades, with almost nothing to show for it.
Democrats aren't interested in truly helping these people. Democrats maintain their power by keeping their constituents dependant on them and their taxpayer funded handouts. People with educations and jobs aren't as easily manipulated as those without.
Really? Pray tell how? :)
The above rant is nothing but blaming Democrats because of "guilt by association". So by your logic because the Democrats fight for causes important to the poor and homeless, many of whom happen to be Black or Hispanic, that it's all the Democrats fault?
When you pull your head out long enough to read my reply please do take a deep breath for me. :)
Jeff - everything that anyone says that you disagree with isn't a "rant." And there's not one thing in my comments that qualifies as "ranting". They are comments based on decades of observation and analysis. Try it sometime before telling other people to "pull their heads out."
Now see, YOUR comments WERE ranting because they were based on nothing but the nonsense floating around in your head.
Jeff, democrats keep people in a perpetual welfare state. They lift no one. Google North Chigao in the 80's Now Detroit. When is their BULLSH!T going to stop???
How is RUNNING city governments for decades merely guilt by association?
Jeff,
Just because you don't like or agree with his assertion - does not make it a rant, nor did he imply a "guilt by association" - he implied a "guilt by actions".
Please, pull your head out long enough to READ a fairly well thought out assertion before dismissing it entirely because it does not fit your agenda.
Detroit, parts of Chicago, Atlanta, Memphis, East St. Louis, Newark, Camden, Irvington, the list of cities with huge sections overtaken by blight are an endless testimony to the failure of liberal social programs and policies and democratic corruption.
@Jeff, I live in NJ just like grilledcheese and can say he is 100% right. The democratic machine that was in place for decades RUINED the economy here and put NJ in tremendous debt. Before Christie took over a couple of years ago, the state was on the verge of bankruptcy. He is the first governor in decades to actually balance a budget.
Christie does nothing to stop the problems grillledcheesesandwich refers to. Please read above.
Politicians cannot speak about it. They will not get elected if they do.
Actually, he does. Christie has cut cushy state jobs as well as cut back on the number of police and fire jobs. Why? Because the state has no money to keep paying for them. Christie is also closing down failing schools in abbot districts and is beginning the process to have the money that goes to these districts redistributed and evaluated. Two charter schools in Trenton have been shut down because they are failing. I know what you are referring to. The pension loopholes. And it's going to take a lot more than a couple of years in office to reverse what is going on there.
oh-well, there is only so much Christie can realistically do. We have a democratically-controlled legislature and the residents of those cities keep voting in democrats because the democrats keep giving them stuff. They aren't smart enough to see that it's actually destroying them and their families.
grilled cheese, agreed. Stacey, I am not talking about pensions I'm talking about takers o
Ah, ok. I gotcha now. Agreed with that.
ok
So WHO Caused the Blight..The people who live and visit there, and we know who they are.
Auburn Avenue. Is that near where I parked my car, some wino broke the window with a chain and took everything I had? Yep, that's the Auburn Avenue. Life in Atlanta prepared me for four years in Memphis. and made me an expert marksman.
If everything you had, was in your car, parked near Auburn Ave. then you sir are an idiot!
I know. Not everyone can be as smart as a liberal. I should have said "everything I had with me". That included all my clothing, books and personal belongings on a business trip.
Road Warrior - Waylon is the idiot here, for not understanding what any person with a little common sense would see, which is that the thief stole everything that you had in the car.
Waylon - ever here the phrase "it's better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt"?
Scales67 - Have you ever heard the old phrase "mind your own f-cking business".
Road Warrior - You said at the top that "Life in Atlanta prepared you for Memphis" then you said it was a business trip. Since when does a business trip equal "life in Atlanta". I think you are a liar. I bet you are a terrible marksman as well.
Maybe you should have moved to the colombine high school area. It probably would have prepared you for anywhere.
Where are Reverend Al and Reverend Jesse when this help is needed? Oh wait, my bad. Doing some actual good for their own people won't get them the TV coverage they so badly crave. Plus, it's ridiculous for me to think they would do something requiring money going out, rather than coming in.
The Reverends Al and Jesse have built entire "careers" based on keeping a whole lot of black people angry, ill-educated and dependant on government hand outs. If the majority of blacks had good educations, good jobs and solid families, Al and Jesse wouold have no one to agitate and than what would they do with themselves?
Al and Jesse represent the liberal agenda....victimhood.
Grilled Cheese & Stacy - I hear you barking big dog. NJ resident my whole life & I say thank God for Monmouth County BUT - the poor bastards elsewhere YIKES & it is what they say. Every town around me is pretty good but I live in a small town with all Dems and they are a do nothing machine that intimidates people - it's ridiculous.
PS I've never been on a street named MLK that wasn't a mess.......just sayin
I wish you would get yourself a life. Can you explain why Jesse or Al would have any reason or motive to be there. Practice your writing skills where others don't see them or write something that is not meaningless.
Keep your Color and Racist Views to Yourself; I didn't agree with the person that said this, however, in your case it is true: Didn't anyone know that you were a poor excuse of a human being until you opened your mouth.
Whichever city I'm in, I always avoid streets named after Martin Luther King Jr because the crime rate is usually higher in those areas.
That's a damn good point.
I have seen this first hand in my home town. It was not such a good area to start with (my mom always told me to lock the car doors on the passenger side), but it is even worse now.
Recently, the city renamed another street after Rosa Parks. I wonder what will happen now. I know everyone was wondering why they didn't just name a new street after her instead of renaming one that had been there for over 80 years.
These are the key words to this article. The situation was created by the very people MLK championed. They have no one to blame except themselves. The truth is hard to admit.
Usually? Pretty much a given....try Washington DC.
Ha! Yes, because Obama is responsible for the zoning and development policies in Atlanta, as well as the 50 year decline of a historic neighborhood. :)
Just curious. Anybody out there live in a city where MLK blvd goes through a NICE area?
I do.
yes Wilmington delaware
Too Bad - Urban blight mars my birthplace in Chicago as well. I couldn't set foot in my old neighborhood if I wanted to. Get over it! Move on!
Neither can MLK - don't rub it in his face.
I'm surprised they didn't mention Underground Atlanta which is in the same area. That's a great place to mugged. Downtown Atlanta is urban blight at its best.
yes.
it's quit a sh!thole.
during business hours it's alive with activity and people.
when the sun goes down it's a desolate haven for detritus.
I've seen many posts on here equating urban blight with the welfare state, and I have to agree on some points. The fact is, with most of the welfare crowd - race is irrelevant - most of what they have was given to them. They did nothing to earn it. Since they have no real motivation to take care of what was given to them, they don't, and it shows.
In a terribly perverted manner, the end of segregation was often devastating for black communities, just as it opened up opportunity and increased respect for individuals. But to be fair, most ethnic European communities in the US are (at best) shells of their former selves as well.
Why this is a political issue...I don't know.
But I CAN tell you why this area is going under. Crime rates in the area have shot up, there is trash in the streets, there are homeless people everywhere. . These are problems general to Atlanta, but they just happen to overlap with other issues facing this community, which is why it is worse off than other areas. There are some great buisinesses in this area (there is a great hometown pizza place I go to occasionally)
The MLK historic site is a great place to visit. Don't let this article dissuade you from going. Yes, it's not a great neighborhood but there's plenty of parking and I had no issues walking around and enjoying the sites.
Looks pretty much like every MLK Street I've ever seen.... Ask the people who live there why that is --- high crime and poverty. BTW, poverty doesn't give ANYONE the "right" to rob others of what they have. That's just Liberal nonsense!
Maybe the residents of those areas need to take a good long hard look around them and realize that making endlessly bad choices is not the road to success. Maybe they should try NOT dropping out of school, NOT getting pregnant at 15, NOT having multiple children they can't afford with multiple men who have no interest in sticking around to father all of their carelessly reproduced offspring, NOT getting hooked on drugs and alcohol, NOT joining gangs, NOT accepting the idea that living off of public assistance is an acceptable "career" path, etc.
There is opportunity for EVERYONE in this country who is willing to work hard for it. I am very tired of being told that it's my fault that so many people made terrible choices and are living in poverty and that I'm responsible for supporting all the freeloaders. I have no problem with helping those who are truly in need, like the sick and the elderly. However, I strongly object to being forced to support the stupid and the lazy. Enough is enough already.
grilled cheese sandwich, you speak the truth!
I am loving the Cheese! You live in NJ & single :-)
I think urban blight happens everywhere, not just Atlanta. This is only noteworthy because Dr. King was born and raised in the area. Too sad.
Below is a paraphrased version of a quote attributed to Ben Franklin:
"Poverty, ....the easier you make it....the more of it you get."
Welfare hurts the poor more than anybody else. it kill dignity and hope.
what would MLK think?
almost every street that bears his name is crime ridden, drug infested and no where i'll be visiting any time soon.
and i live in Atlanta
I've always heard that if you are driving in a city and notice that you are on Martin Luther King (blvd, rd, street, etc) that you just entered a bad part of town and should probably do a 180 ASAP. Can somebody confirm/deny this? I don't like getting car jacked.
it's an unfortunate truism.
It is just a reflection of changing times... Ideals die and time marches on.... Nothing lasts...
The chairperson has shepherded the historic restoration of the area for more than 2 decades! It's pretty obvious she hasn't done a very good job!
Ironic isn't that Kasim Reed ( mayor of Atlanta) is dropping $94 million dollars ( $47 million in Atlanta tax payer $$ and a matching $47 million form Obama of US tax payer $$ ) to have a trolley run six blocks from down to the MLK king memorial . Given the condition of the city of Atlanta's streets . The need for additional funding for the education system , fire fighters , and police ........Reed , and Obama are spending $94 million on a trolley !!!
Reed is going to insure that the construction contracts for the trolley are divided up among his campaign supporters to get the funding returned back for another mayoral campaign. Don't you find it funny that the upper echelon in the Atlanta black community are doing so well with construction , and air port contracts while the there is no middle class ...........just lower income Atlanta-ins that can't be provided the funding to lift them self up out of the poverty level . Of coarse the Reed can appear on meet the press for Obama , and blame the whole issue on the right !!!! ((*&&^%$#
Martin Luther is rolling over in his grave knowing how the people of Atlanta are being misused for state , and federal funding .......... the $$$ is flow right back into Atlanta's wealthy politically connected blacks pockets .
Impoverished Atlanta black community being oppressed , and used by the very people they elect !!!
"Impoverished Atlanta black community being oppressed , and used by the very people they elect !!!"
Yes, and the scenario repeats itself in every single blighted city across the country. So why can't more black people see that for themselves? I can't help but get a little, shall we say, frustrated, over that.
nicely put Ed.
i wonder how much more bullet proofing costs.
let's hope it's not a ghetto fabulous trolley.
just saying... no one want's to see a trolley with 22s on it
When and if gentrification sets in in this area, those that made the mess will move on and create another mess somewhere else. That's what has happened in large areas in CA due to the housing meltdown. What used to be nice new areas has become subsidized housing and those that left parts of Oakland for example are now making a mess out of formerly quiet farming communities. This is an intergenerational problem, yes, brought on by systematic bureaucratic welfare that has gone on for far too long. In our attempt to be humane we have created a nightmare.
Can you say federal grant ??
How sad....but, this isn't Obama's problem or issue. It goes much deeper....why doesn't the black community have any lasting pride in one of its greatest heros? It appears MLK had more impact in the white community than in his own. Sad.
Funding for renovation will be added to the " jobs " bill.
part of the Solyndra money?
Because it is much easier to demand restitution than it is to earn actual pride and respect!
Hello Jazzpa;
You're right pf course, but democrats have had the opportunity to help many black dominated cities out of their rut but their phony act of concern is just that! Oh yeah, they want your vote, but we'll do nothing but blame everyone else. For every black that expects life long handouts, there is a black that pulls his/ her own weight.
All the MLK Ways are in ghettos. What's the big deal? Let the people that live there clean it up.