Upward Movement

Innovation in the face of hardship is in Atlanta’s DNA, whether in education and technology, arts and culture, or social or economic change.

Immediately after the Civil War, historically Black institutions emerged from Atlanta’s ashes to create unprecedented educational and social opportunities for Atlanta’s newly-freed men and women. Atlanta’s historically Black colleges and universities—which include Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College and the Morehouse School of Medicine—provided the educational and social foundation for some of our nation’s most prolific scholars, civic leaders and cultural icons.

Spelman University (then Spelman Seminary), 1898.

Historic Atlanta Guidebook Images, Georgia State University Digital Collections.

Bronner Brothers on Auburn Avenue, 1979.

Historic American Building Survey, Library of Congress.

Atlanta Life Insurance Company on Auburn Avenue, 1979.

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator. 126-255 Auburn Avenue Commercial Buildings, Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Fulton County, GA. Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/ga0211/>.

Atlanta University Chemistry Student, 1942.

Historic American Building Survey, Library of Congress.

Atlanta University, 1891.

Historic American Building Survey, Library of Congress.

Georgia State University’s Sparks Hall, 1950s

Lane Brothers Commercial Photo Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

Later in the century, the city needed to shift from an agrarian to industrial economy. The Georgia School of Technology (now Georgia Tech) and its satellite Evening School of Commerce (now Georgia State University) added to the success of Atlanta’s historically Black colleges and universities, also shaping the minds of future inventors, engineers, and business leaders.

Two Students Stroll Through Georgia Tech’s Campus, 1953AJC Photo Archives, Georgia State University Digital Collections — **Two Students Stroll Through Georgia Tech’s Campus, 1953**
*AJC Photo Archives, Georgia State University Digital Collections*

In 1962, a significant portion of Atlanta’s arts patrons were lost in a devastating plane crash. In the wake of devastation, the city created what is now one of Atlanta’s premier fine arts destinations: the Woodruff Arts Center. Many other arts organizations call Atlanta home adding to the array of entertainment choices, though some are more well known than others.

When we invest in historic preservation, we uphold the cultural centers, traditions, and memories that make Atlanta one of a kind.

Upward Movement

Mind Power