Atlanta Through the Archives

Decline of Sweet Auburn Curb Market

Summary

In the 1960s, the Jim Crow laws prohibiting Black vendors from selling their products were banned. However, also in the 1960s, many Black residents were displaced from the rezoning favoring white neighborhoods and businesses, as well as the construction of the expressway. Black displacement and white flight significantly harmed sales in the market, and supermarkets began to replace the demand for smaller, often farmer vendors.