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.