Atlanta Through the Archives

Urban Renewal Programs Further Segregate and Displace Atlanta Residents (1950s)

Summary

Atlanta in the 1950s was characterized by massive urban renewal projects which acted to further segregate white and black communities, demolish ‘slum’ areas, and displace hundreds of black families.

In the 1950s, Atlanta officials pursued an aggressive agenda of slum clearance and urban development, leaving thousands of families displaced and without homes. Construction of the I 75/85 connector in particular allowed officials to target majority black, low-income communities for demolition. The highway’s locations were strategically planned not only to destroy such communities, but also to act as a racial ‘buffer’ between existing white and black neighborhoods. As neighborhoods were demolished, more and more low-income black families found themselves displaced, and urged city officials to provide adequate public housing in replacement. Despite massive community organization, many attempts to construct housing nearby demolition sites failed, pushing displaced residents into new areas like auburn avenue and the Westside, where white residents responded by selling their homes and fleeing to the suburbs.