If the Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival is on your calendar for this weekend, stop by our booth, we’d love to meet you! Just look for the People You Need to Know banner! This year, 30,000 people are expected to attend.

Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival (courtesy of Wikipedia) 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. 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. 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 artists from diverse genres of music. 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 artists’ path to stardom. Artists such as Usher Raymond, Outkast, India Arie, and Raven Symone have started out performing on stage at the festival. Ultimately, the Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival entertainment has grown much further 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
• Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry - founded in 1971
• Martin Luther King Jr. National Park Visitor’s 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

Yesterday, I happened to see an inspirational and uplifting interview on my local PBS station about Mr. Bob Williamson, a man who reminded me about the triumph of the human spirit. Mr. Williamson is the Founder/Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Software International, LLC in Atlanta. You can read his powerful story here.

Not too long ago, on the north side of town, unlike Mr. Williamson, a businessman lost all hope. This young, once very successful developer, who could no longer deal with the downturn in the real estate market, went into an empty home in one of his struggling, brand new, subdivisions and sadly, he took his own life.

Without a doubt, these are trying times for many, and I’m sure you have your own stories about those who have lost hope. I know that people are suffering emotionally, financially, and psychologically. There are multitudes coming back from the war who are dealing with severe physical and even mental challenges, which are wreaking havoc upon their lives and the lives of their families.

These are issues that cannot and will not be resolved with an inspirational band-aid. The pain is real, the stress is real, and my heart goes out to those who are dealing with so much disappointment.

If there’s someone who will comfort you during your time of loss and hardship, you’re very fortunate. If you have friends and family members who will love and encourage you regardless of what you own, what you drive or where you shop, you’re rich indeed.

Just remember, you are strong and you are resilient, just as those who came before us were. You can make it through anything that comes your way. And most of all, you must always believe in the triumph of the human spirit, knowing deep in your heart that you have what it takes to still prevail.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Attorney Don Edwards’ professional accomplishments reflect a distinguished career. He has for the past three decades served his clients, his profession and the African American community in Atlanta. He has fashioned legal cases and landmark million dollar verdicts for his clients. As a civil litigation specialist, his professional focus is on personal injury cases. His work has earned him the Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating, the highest rating offered by this nationally recognized law directory.

An agent for social change, Edwards has an array of board affiliations with several major community and professional organizations. His personal commitment has been recognized with many awards and citations for leadership and service including the 2004 Inductee to the Gate City Bar Association’s “Hall of Fame”, and NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall Award “For Dedicated Service To The NAACP In The Fight For Freedom And Justice.” Recently, the State Bar of Georgia recognized Attorney Edwards during its Annual Meeting with the “Chief Justice Robert Benham Community Service Award” for exemplary community service as a legal professional.

Edwards is currently involved with organizations that address issues affecting family, community, church, health care and world peace. He is currently Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Ethics; Immediate past Chair of the South Atlanta District for the Boy Scouts of America, where he has received the 2002 Silver Beaver Award, the highest award issued by the Atlanta Area Council for volunteer service; Founding President of Southwest Hospital Foundation and a Trustee of Southwest Hospital; Past Board President of the Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta; founding president of the Association of Metro Atlanta DFACS Boards, and the past chairman of the Board of the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services, where a dormitory for boys in foster care was named after Attorney Edwards. Edwards is a member of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta and Leadership Atlanta. Edwards is also a past president of the Gate City Bar Association, and is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the National Bar Association, where he has served as a member of the Board of Governors.

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Dr. Gloria Campbell-D’Hue is the founder of the Atlanta Center of Dermatology and MediSpa. She has over 20 years of training and experience in the practice of dermatology. After graduating from Morris Brown College with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry, Dr. Campbell-D’Hue went on to graduate from Emory University School of Medicine in 1976.

She completed her Internal Medical Residency at the University of Cincinnati and her Pathology Residency at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York. Following her Fellowship in Electron Microscopy and Immunoflurescence at the Albany Medical Center, she became the Chief Resident in Dermatology at the University of Cincinnati Department of Dermatology. She was the first African American Chief Resident.

She has been in practice since 1983, becoming the first African American female Dermatologist in private practice in Atlanta. Dr. Campbell-D’Hue has been board eligible since December of 1982 by the American Academy of Dermatology. She has received numerous awards including “Outstanding Young Women of America” and “Distinguished Alumni Citation” by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.

The Atlanta Dermatology and MediSpa Center provides full medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology services for care of the skin and for the management of skin, hair and nail disorders.

There are over 2000 different skin diseases, and they have the knowledge and expertise to recognize them and offer the best plan for management through medical, surgical and cosmetic therapies.

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A firm belief that we all should be responsible stewards over our finances is why Kevin Turner entered financial services in 1997, after years as a corporate engineer.

Having always been attracted to finances, Kevin began the career transition to financial planning after receiving an MBA from Webster University in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

As president of Peak Level Advisors, he uses the problem solving skills he learned in engineering to provide financial planning solutions for individuals and business owners across metro Atlanta.

Mr. Turner calls himself “Your Personal Wealth Navigator” because he helps clients establish a financial road map and provides guidance as they embark on the journey to financial peace and freedom. Using a highly interactive approach, he works in partnership with his clients to develop the financial strategies that empower them to achieve their important life goals.

Kevin presently lives in Fulton County with his wife, an engineer, proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and who was also the motivation behind his relocation and movement of his practice to Atlanta in 2004. He is an active member of Turner Chapel AME Church in Marietta and an officer in the Atlanta Downtown Express Network of ABWA.

His clients represent a wide spectrum of people, but the majority of his clients are career minded women, both corporate and business owners, and people approaching the end of their primary working years, who realize the benefit of having a professional advisor to counsel them and focus on their financial present and future.

Quote: “Everyone wishes for financial success, but those who achieve it are willing to plan for it and take action to follow through on their plan.”

All securities through Money Concepts Capital Corp., Member FINRA/SIPC - 11440 Jog Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (561) 472-2000

In an effort to further preserve the history and record the success of top African-American business owners and professionals in Atlanta, The Atlanta History Center has partnered with People You Need to Know, Inc., (PYNTK) and will be archiving radio interviews from their Destined for Greatness Series.

Known as the Atlanta Historical Society in 1926, its name was changed to the Atlanta History Center in 1990. Today, it is located on 33 acres in the heart of Atlanta’s Buckhead district and includes: one of the Southeast’s largest history museums; a research library and archives; two historic houses illustrating over a century of Atlanta’s history; a two-acre midtown campus which houses the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum; and a series of gardens unique in both design and horticultural presentation in the metropolitan area.

Mr. Paul Crater, Director of the Kenan Research Center says, “We are honored to house these historical radio interviews from People You Need to Know, Inc. They will definitely aid researchers for present and future generations regarding Atlanta’s diverse history.”

PYNTK publishes Atlanta’s premier spotlight publication, which showcases business success and achievement. For more than a decade, PYNTK has been helping small business owners and professionals rise above the crowd by providing them with numerous marketing and publicity opportunities.

Their publications are available free of charge through the month of April at major distribution points throughout metro Atlanta, including Kroger, Publix, Bally’s Fitness, Sears, Kmart and Blockbuster, with a circulation of 500,000. In 2009, distribution will be expanding to Macon, Georgia; Columbia, South Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee.

From the company’s website, you can access their radio show, podcast, business listings, and online publication.

Anthony B. Thomas, “The Spark Plug,” publisher of People You Need to Know says, “We’re excited about this partnership with the Atlanta History Center because these are stories about commitment, education, family and success that are a part of Atlanta’s great and rich history. The radio interviews will not only be available for researchers, but will serve as inspiration for generations to come.”

In 1984, Sherry Caldwell-Hawkins was inspired to create edible fruit arrangements from a display of honeydew, watermelon and cantaloupe sticks being sold at a carnival in Ramstein, Germany.

Upon moving back to the states, she started an errand service, where as a ‘thank you’ she would leave a mini version of her incredible edible fruit arrangements. Unintentionally creating a buzz, she found she was making more edible creations than she was running errands.

Through various inspirations, her bouquets evolved into the healthy edible fruit and vegetable arrangements you see today. Her one-of-a-kind incredible edible fruit arrangements appeal to your 3 senses:

• They look breathtakingly beautiful
• Smell tantalizingly sweet
• And taste absolutely delicious

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Most people know that Atlanta is a global city. This status brings with it a multitude of languages. Therefore, clear and accurate communication is critical!CF Professional Translations, LLC, a privately owned company, was founded as a result of the high demand for qualified and reliable translators and interpreters who are experts in their field.

CF Professional Translations takes great pride in the fact that the quality of their work, their ability to meet their clients’ needs and deadlines, their customer service approach, and especially their reasonable rates, are all factors which have contributed to the long-lasting relationships, which they have established with their present clientele.

Their team is made up of qualified and professional translators who have many years of experience in the field and who are native speakers of the target language(s) with which they work.

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People You Need to Know, a network of top professionals including dentists, attorneys, real estate agents, physicians, etc., in Atlanta, welcomes Dr. Trent Jones, President of All Smiles Atlanta.

Dr. Jones is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in biology. He received his Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Dr. Jones practices general dentistry with a cosmetic focus in Decatur and Midtown Atlanta locations. He is a certified Invisalign™ provider and is a Lumineer© veneer placement specialist. He is a member of the National Dental Association, American Dental Association, North Georgia Dental Society, Georgia Dental Society and The Decatur Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

Look for Dr. Trent Jones in the 2009 Business Celebrities Edition of People You Need to Know. All Smiles Atlanta can be reached at 404-685-8605 or Email.

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September 11th will mark six months of blogging for me and I have enjoyed every single minute. I hope you have gained some inspiration and insight from many of my posts which highlight some of the People You Need to Know in metro Atlanta. I know how powerful images can be so I’ve tried my best to give our professionals the representation they richly deserve.

I’ll be taking the next few days off to reflect and ponder which direction I’ll be moving this “labor of love”…from this point.

Thus far, every blog I’ve encountered has offered something which I have been able to take with me and some have even added a whole new dimension to my life. A few of them which have given me some inspiration and motivation along the way are…

• Atniz
• She Lives
• ShAe-ShAe’s Blog
• Black Tennis Pro’s
• Random Ramblings
• Black Woman Thinks
• Health Nut Wannabee Mom
• From A Little Yellow House In England…

You have all made this journey educational, inspirational, entertaining and enjoyable.

Thanks to the tens of thousands of people from the U.S. as well as those from all around the world, including Japan, China, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, France, Israel, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The Russian Federation, Switzerland, Sweden, Nigeria, and many others…I am humbled that you stopped by, read my posts, listened to audios or left comments. I hope to hear from you all again during my next six-month sprint.

Peace…I’ll be back soon,

- Jacqueline

We’re gearing up for the hottest event in Atlanta!

V-103’s For Sisters Only will be held on September 13th and 14th, at the Georgia World Congress Center. This year, they’re expecting 50,000 people to attend.

We’ve already reserved our booth space and we’re looking forward to promoting some of our top business celebrity clients.

Scheduled to appear…

• Dr. Gloria Campbell D’Hue, Atlanta’s Dermatologist to the Stars
• Veda Wood, The Real Estate Selling Machine
• Leron Rogers, Atlanta’s Top Entertainment Attorney
• Vanessa AllenWhite, “Atlanta’s Vanna” (Realtor)
• Dr. Nedra Dodds, “Your Beauty Partner”
• Donald P. Edwards, “The Community Minded Attorney”
• Kevin Turner, “Your Personal Wealth Navigator”
• Dr. Danielle Wilson, Developer of Kissable Toothpaste
• Dr. Frenesa Hall, “The Doctor Who Comes to You”
• Dr. Anisa Hailey, Creator of Celebrity Smiles
• LaShawn Parker, “The Foreclosure Specialist”
• Dr. Chanda Culmer, Atlanta’s Dentist with the Delicate Touch
• Sharon Mathis, “Atlanta’s Insurance Expert” …and many more…

Over 300 exhibitors will be there to showcase their wares and sell their goods and services. In addition, this 2-day marketing extravaganza will include celebrity entertainment, cultural enrichment, seminars, food and family fun! You don’t want to miss this exciting event!

Look for the People You Need to Know giant Front Cover display and drop by to say hello. We look forward to seeing you there!