As Black History Month draws to a close, let's look back at one of Atlanta's historic African-American neighborhoods: Buttermilk Bottom. Unfortunately, it's just one of many examples of our city's failed urban renewal.
Buttermilk Bottom, also known as Black Bottom, was mostly made up of homes left standing after a massive fire that destroyed 50 city blocks in central Atlanta's Fourth Ward in 1917. There was never any effort to restore the area or provide relief for the residents, leaving them to live in dilapidated shacks with broken sewer lines and no electricity or paved streets.
Considered a slum, the neighborhood is believed to have received its name for one of two reasons. One explanation is that the area's sloped geography caused sewage to run through the community and sit, emitting a sour smell. Others believe the neighborhood received its name because its residents were so poor that they could not afford fresh milk, leaving them only the choice of having spoiled milk or sour milk cultured to buttermilk.
In 1967, much of the area was razed in order to build the Atlanta Civic Center, with what remained renamed to Bedford Pines. This was done by Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. in an effort to make Atlanta an "international city." In order to build a convention center, hundreds of families displaced were left to fend for themselves after the government neglected to provide other viable housing options for them.
Development in the area continued, and some of the old Buttermilk Bottom area was used to build new parks (Renaissance and Central parks). Meanwhile, the Atlanta Civic Center has sat dormant since the city closed it more than 10 years ago. The city has sought to repurpose the site for affordable housing but has made little to no progress on that front. The area even became the new home of a Southern Company subsidiary, Georgia Power.
The contrast between Buttermilk Bottom's history and its current use is deeply ironic. An area that was known for not having paved streets or electricity is the same place where Georgia Power's headquarters now sits. Homes were demolished to build a convention center the city has now abandoned while plans to bring housing back to the area languish. Buttermilk Bottom is an important part of the history of Atlanta and an example of how historic injustices persist and continue to impact us.