Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
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In the early 1960s, the small town of Albany, Georgia, found itself at the center of the Civil Rights Movement. A locally-driven effort, known as the Albany Movement—which sought to end racial segregation and discrimination in the small town—attracted the support of Martin Luther King Jr. Hundreds of people, including King, were jailed before the city repealed the Jim Crow laws in 1963.
Today, Albany is home to a vibrant Main Street district dedicated to honoring this history and building upon this legacy. The city government that once jailed Martin Luther King Jr. now serves as a resource and champion for Black entrepreneurship through their Main Street program, Downtown Albany, and the newly established Harlem District, which seeks to preserve Albany’s historic African American community in the downtown core.
In December 1961, Martin Luther King Jr. became involved in a new coalition known as the Albany Movement. His involvement was driven by the organization he had helped found: the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which partnered with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Ministerial Alliance, the Federation of Women’s Clubs, and the Negro Voter’s League to conduct a series of protests against segregation and discrimination in the city.
SNCC founded the Movement in November 1961, with members electing local doctor William G. Anderson as its president. The following month, Anderson asked Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC to join their efforts to reinvigorate the community and bolster efforts to end racial segregation in Albany. Shortly after his arrival, King was arrested and joined hundreds of local Black community members already behind bars. He was charged with parading without a permit and obstructing the sidewalk.
According to the King Institute, “the Albany Movement aimed to end all forms of racial segregation in the city, focusing initially on desegregating travel facilities, forming a permanent biracial committee to discuss further desegregation, and the release of those jailed in segregation protests.” Like similar movements at the time, they used nonviolent methods to advance their cause, including demonstrations, jail-ins, sit-ins, boycotts, and litigation. The Movement was a profoundly local effort that empowered the highly engaged Black community.
In August of 1962, after months of protests and arrests, the Movement had not achieved its goals. King reluctantly agreed to leave the city and call for an end to the demonstrations. But the end of the Albany Movement was not the end of the struggle for civil rights in the city or the nation. In 1963, William G. Anderson, the former president of the Movement, won a case against the city government that resulted in the repeal of Jim Crow segregation laws in the city. Two years later, the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned racial discriminatory practices in voting, restoring these rights of Black adults across the nation.
Downtown Albany, the city's Main Street program, is proud of their Civil Rights legacy, and they are utilizing the Main Street model to preserve and build upon this heritage. “We believe that a comprehensive approach, combining historical preservation, education, and community engagement, is essential to keeping the spirit of the Albany Movement and the Civil Rights Movement alive in our city,” said Lequrica Gaskins, Executive Director at Downtown Albany. They organize multiple events and activities to commemorate the Civil Rights Movement, including guided tours of notable Civil Rights locations, collaborations with schools and community organizations to offer youth educational programs, and an annual MLK Day breakfast to provide education, connection, and reflection on Civil Rights history.
“Downtown Albany is committed to fostering an inclusive and thriving community for everyone, including minority business owners and entrepreneurs,” said Gaskins. They focus their efforts in three areas: resources, mentoring, and networking. Direct funding for economic empowerment and community development helps bridge the financial challenges faced by many new entrepreneurs. Seminars led by local business leaders provide an opportunity for new business owners to meet and learn from their experienced peers. Finally, their business incubator program—which brings together networking opportunities, shared workspaces, and funding for new start-ups—helps support business owners as they establish a presence and move towards a brick-and-mortar location.
At the same time, Albany is making direct investments in the Harlem District, a historic African American neighborhood located within the downtown area. Last year, the local government approved the Harlem District Master Plan and Urban Redevelopment Plan, which will showcase the vibrant history and culture of the district and support sustainable economic growth for the predominantly Black community in that neighborhood. “The Harlem neighborhood served as a haven where beliefs developed because the footsteps of people who fought for justice and equality could be heard on its streets,” explains the Harlem Renaissance Project website. Historically, the neighborhood was a hub for Black businesses in a segregated city. As the center of the Black community in Albany, it also played an important role in the Albany Movement. As segregation ended, many moved away from the area, a phenomenon that was seen across the South and continues to impact communities today.
Downtown Albany and its partners plan to bring new life and energy back to this important community by supporting key development projects, including a gathering and meeting space, a food hall, a wellness center with medical and dental providers, and residential housing. These investments will provide the framework for new prosperity in the historic neighborhood.
Albany has made significant efforts to become a more equitable and inclusive city since the height of the Albany Movement and King’s departure in 1962. And Downtown Albany is continuing this work. Through Civil Rights tours, entrepreneurial support, and investments in the Harlem District, Albany is building on their past as a catalyst for a better future.
Community Heart & Soul, a Main Street America Allied Member, is this quarter's Main Spotlight advertiser. For more information about the products and services they provide to Main Street organizations, click here > https://www.communityheartandsoul.org/boost-your-main-street-with-community-heart-soul/
For Preservation Month, Senior Program Officer Lisa Thompson explores why preservation matters and how Main Streets can celebrate and protect their historic assets.
Nevada, Iowa © Main Street America
At Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, Washington, Native Hawaiians played a critical role in the success of the Hudson Bay Company. Today, Vancouver’s Hawaiian history and heritage plays a crucial role in efforts to reenergize the city’s historic downtown.
Understanding the Advisory Council on Historic Preservations report on federal historic preservation standards.
Toccoa, GA © Steph Maley
In this video, learn more about the Williams’ family story, how the business is helping to revive downtown Helena, and the impact they’re having on a national level.
Kathy LaPlante shares her experiences visiting Vermont communities during their recovery from devastating floods.
© Tripp Muldrow
In honor of National Disaster Preparedness Month, we are providing some practical steps that Main Streets can take to prepare for the next, inevitable disaster.
© Adog
Learn the historic and cultural significance of neon signs, and strategies that Main Streets can use to preserve these unique assets.
Main Street America is leading a coalition urging that the EPA make available the GGRF funds for adaptive reuse and location-efficient projects because of the substantial greenhouse gas emissions reduction offered by such developments.
On May 9, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2023 which included a cultural district located within a designated Main Street America community.
Miami, FL © NTHP
From 19th-century mill girls to Maine's mill redevelopments and the regional manufacturers of tomorrow, learn about the amazing history and promise of the New England mill.
Biddeford, ME © Heart of Biddeford
Learn the unique history of Folsom, New Mexico, and how they are working with New Mexico MainStreet today.
This article was published on January 10, 2023, by Next City, a nonprofit news organization focused on socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable urban practices.
Learn how Rethos, the Coordinating partner for Minnesota Main Streets, has partnered with Reuse Minnesota and the Minnesota GreenCorps Program to encourage community-led preservation.
© Rethos
Four recommendations that Main Street districts can apply right now to start preparing for the next natural disaster.
Learn how Main Streets can partner with the National Trust Community Investment Corporation to take advantage of the Historic Tax Credit.
© Troy Thies
Ed McMahon shares recommendations and insights on how Main Streets can use sign design to improve sense of place on Main Streets.
Main Street organizations and other public-private partnerships can provide the focal point needed to fulfill the large number of roles required to reuse or redevelop a house of worship in a way that benefits the community.
Learn about The Bottom, a historic African-American community in Thomasville, Georgia, and efforts to preserve it's history and share it's story.
Thomasville, GA © City of Thomasville
New Mexico MainStreet partnered with Main Street America to utilize a NPS Main Street Facade Improvement Grant.
Gallup, NM © New Mexico MainStreet
How do those amazing Main Street rehabilitation projects happen? And what policies and public support make them happen? In the Behind the Ribbon Cutting series, we look at a project or businesses from concept to opening day to break down the partnerships and funding brought to bear and recognize how we can advocate for policies and resources for revitalization across the country.
Astoria, OR © ADHDA
Main Street America's GIS intern shares the results of a project to map the boundaries of all designated Main Street districts.
Main Street America welcomed the National Association For Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) to our Twitter channel to share stories of resiliency in Latino communities.
Main Street America welcomed to our Instagram Stories the Allapattah Collaborative CDC, a Main Street program in Miami, Florida.
Miami, FL © Allapattah Collaborative CDC
We sat down with Lindsey Wallace, Director of Strategic Projects and Design Services and manager of the the National Park Service Main Street Community Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Program, to learn more about her perspective on disaster preparedness on Main Street.
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
The Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) Main Street Task Force is working to increase education, compile examples and data, and provide recommended changes at the national level where necessary.
Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott joined Texas Main Street and Texas Historical Commission staff, management and Commissioners to welcome Temple and Pearsall into the 89-city Texas Main Street network.
As part of the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta’s Grants to Green program, Maine was designated one of two national replication sites.
After more than five years of consistent advocacy, the 20 percent historic tax credit (HTC) has survived the most significant rewrite of the tax code in more than 30 years.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Main Street merchants in two communities in Michigan and Kentucky, as well as a fellow Texas Main Street community, jumped in to help their Texas colleagues.
In the midst of this human and cultural disaster, the Main Street program, managed by the Ellicott City Partnership, collaborated with Preservation Maryland to provide a variety of disaster relief financing that helped expedite the recovery.
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
With 413 National Park areas¹ and over 1,000 Main Street America programs, it’s no surprise that many of the communities following the Four Point Approach serve as gateways to our national parks.
Eight historic downtowns in Vermont turned massive flooding into opportunities to build back stronger than before the flood.
As living pieces of American history, our Main Street communities each have a story to tell. It’s up to us to bring those stories to life.
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
We measure the effectiveness of our last marketing campaign, weigh whether the investment in new street lights outweigh the political capital spent, and debate if the thousands of volunteer hours are worth the impacts created by a one-day event.
Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.
