Memorials, museums, and other public displays measure how the public understands the confluence of Atlanta’s popular, political, cultural, and social sentiments set forth as Atlanta’s Public History. This emerges out of a critical need where Black life and history can be of service and listens to the precise needs of Black communities and challenge those communities to broaden their own sense of boundaries and exclusivity. Perhaps, public history is more of a spirit that sees historical scholarship as part of a larger scope that includes academic and non-academic professionals as well as various components of the public at large. An example of this can be seen from a tour of the Sweet Auburn District and the Atlanta History Center, both in Atlanta, Georgia. In walking five to seven blocks on Sweet Auburn, you will be enamored with different components about African American life in the city. In visiting the Atlanta History Center, you will see something totally different. Moreover, many of you will leave these tours questioning why the City of Atlanta had done so little to preserve the cultural, economic, historical, political, and social legacies of Sweet Auburn Avenue. In this framework, you should discuss public history and memorialization on Sweet Auburn Avenue and argue whether the City of Atlanta adequately maintained or failed to publicly memorialize African American experiences in Atlanta, Georgia.
