Savannah’s Sentient Bean Celebrates Twenty Years Of Coffee and Culture

Many years ago we were fortunate to run into Kristin Russell, a woman passionate about coffee, farmers, sustainability, and community. Fast-forward twenty years and Kristin’s labor of love, The Sentient Bean, is one of our closest partners and a fixture in the Savannah community. What has been the secret of the Bean’s success? Read our interview with her below and then wish them a happy anniversary!

Café Campesino: You all have been serving up incredible coffee and community for 20 years! How does that feel?

Kristin Russell: When I have the time to step back and think about it- it feels pretty great! It doesn’t seem to me like I’ve been doing it that long but then as I see kids I remember coming in with their parents when they were little bringing in their children- I realize I’ve been at this awhile. I also realize that the Bean has a life of it’s own now, which has been a really important part of helping me through the pandemic.

CC: What compelled you to want to start a coffee shop 20 years ago?

KR: I wasn’t doing anything else more important, haha. The desire to be a model of responsible business started with my near panic concern with the consumer culture of disposability. I was good at hosting parties so I figured a cafe wouldn’t be so different. Coming from a farm- I liked the idea of working for myself. Part of the plan was also to engage people around our ideas about important issues (fair trade, organic produce, environmental sustainability etc), but truly building community means the community gets to set the agenda. Over the years- sustainability has continued to be a big motivator for me but the Bean’s constituents have brought all manner of progressive ideas to center stage.

Savannah's Sentient Bean Celebrates Twenty Years Of Coffee and Culture 1

CC: How has being in the gorgeous city of Savannah contributed to your success?

KR: Moving to the Southeast and in particular beautiful Savannah was not entirely an accident. We didn’t know just how great our timing was in terms of Savannah’s growth and our neighborhood’s development. Our spot on Forsyth Park is pretty great and the fabulous mix of people coming through the doors definitely contributes to our vibe

CC: How did you run into Café Campesino? And does this story involve a roving VW microbus?

KR: Once we know we wanted to use Fair Trade coffee- we looked up certified roasters (a fairly new certification at the time) and saw that there was a cluster in New England, a few on the West coast and one roaster in south central Georgia! We chased down Cafe Campesino first at a rainy School of the Americas protest where the tiny crew was way too busy to take us seriously, but our second engagement was in Atlanta where we did a cupping in a parking lot- spitting on the ground. I do seem to remember there being a bus around but I can’t say that is was formative from my perspective. Sorry!

CC: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your 20 years in business?

KR: I feel like I should say the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on fair trade, organic coffee, and local and organic produce… and I am proud of that. But to be perfectly honest- I am most proud of all the great staff I have gotten to know over the years and how much they learned and matured while working at the Bean- learning about team work, work ethic, social issues, independent business and generally becoming better citizens. Learning about all the awesome things so many of them have gone on to accomplish makes me really proud.

CC: What does the next 20 years look like for Sentient Bean?

KR: Super hard to say in the midst of such upheaval but assuming the center holds… My domestic partner and I purchased the natural foods market next door and we are slowly merging our prepared foods operations. The long-term plan is to grow an in-house food label (Brighter Bean) and really move toward selling a lot more take-home prepared foods through the market. I’ve been on a roller-coaster about events but having been deprived of them for over a year now – I’m excited to bring them back in a way that gives our community even more control over what’s on stage. As the median income of this neighborhood continues to rise and our density increases- our commitment to being open, attractive, and accessible to everyone will continue to be challenging but I’m up for it.

If you are in Savannah please consider stopping by the Bean and celebrating with them. As for us at Café Campesino, we are raising a big steaming mug to them. Here’s to twenty more years!

September 23, 2021/0 Comments/by Matt Earley

The Cozy Camper Brings The Brew To You

Partner Spotlight

If you have ever tried to take your life’s passions and mold them into a small business, you know it can be daunting. The learning curve is steep, getting seed money can be tricky, and the landscape of your field is often competitive with people who got there before you. Laura Bertelson, based in Cordele, GA, decided she would take a swing at molding her interests into a way to earn a living. This spring she opened the rolling cafe known as “The Cozy Camper” and Café Campesino is thrilled to be a part of it. Check out the interview below to find out more about her budding business.

Café Campesino: Where did the idea of using your sweet camper as a cafe come from?

Laura Bertelson: The main reason I chose to invest in a mobile coffee trailer instead of a brick and mortar is the ability to travel. I am not tied down to one city, I have the ability to go to the people. There were many other factors in the decision including being in the midst of a pandemic and the cost it would take to have a brick and mortar. Being a recent college graduate and only 23 years old, I did not have a ton of funds to pour into my dream. I saw my camper on Facebook marketplace and while I knew it was a fixer upper I had a vision to “love people & drink coffee”.

CC: Do you have a “go-to” spot in Cordele where you set up the camper?

LB: 1305 E 16th Ave., Cordele, GA is my semi-permanent location. This is where I sit when I am not at an event or exploring new towns. This location has given me the opportunity to bring high-quality coffee to Cordele, which growing up I did not have.

CC: Where are some other places where you take the camper to sell coffee?

LB: My 1964 Shasta did a lot of traveling before it was passed down. The previous owner collected stickers of everywhere they traveled and kept them on the front window. It think it’s kind of a coincidence that it had never traveled to GA but now it lives here. With that being said, I plan on continuing that tradition. So far I have taken my camper to vintage car shows, weddings, birthday parties, and baby showers. During the fall we have many trips planned to north GA for festivals and parades.

CC: How did you come to be a fair trade specialty coffee enthusiast?

LB: I have always had a passion for coffee and that continued to grow as I traveled to Africa for mission trips. I got to explore coffee farms and talk to farmers. In 2019 I took a jump of faith and attended Texas coffee school in Arlington, Texas. During the “Coffeeperneur” course I learned the business aspect of running a coffee shop and became a certified barista.

CC: What is your favorite coffee origin? And your favorite coffee drink?

LB: I have traveled several places along the “coffee belt” and have to say Ethiopia is my favorite coffee. I got to witness the whole process and roasted my own beans in order to drink coffee there, although their traditions of drinking coffee are a bit different than ours. They drink espresso and call American coffee “bean water”. When in America, my go to drink is a white chocolate latte. However, one of my favorite things to do is allow the barista to make me a surprise drink.

CC: How did you come to partner up with us at Cafe Campesino?

LB: Café Campesino was my go to coffee shop when I was living in Cordele. I did explore other roasters during the planning process of Cozy Camper Coffee, but Café Campesino has the best quality. Plus locally-roasted coffee has been very popular.

If you are in Cordele stop at The Cozy Camper and grab one of their excellent drinks. And if you are not, be on the lookout for the camper this fall– you just may find it set up and cranking out delicious caffeinated beverages at a festival or wedding near you.

September 10, 2021/0 Comments/by Matt Earley

The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail Celebrates A Special Birthday

Americus Community, Partner Spotlight, Sustainability

The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail celebrated Mrs. Carter’s 94^th birthday on Friday, August 20^th in Plains, Georgia. During the event, they displayed the first drawing of a new garden to be planted in her honor. This garden will be located adjacent to her childhood home on South Bond Street in Plains and will be named the Rosalynn Smith Carter Childhood Garden.

We are honored to have a partnership with the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail (RCBT) that is based in Plains just outside of our home in Americus. The Butterfly Trail is a program inspired by Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter to help increase habitat for Monarch butterflies. While the program is based in Plains, it has expanded throughout the United States as well as internationally.

As a young girl, Rosalynn Smith Carter played outside among the beautiful flowers and butterflies in her yard. This unique 1930s garden will reflect her memories of those special childhood days. The new garden will include plants from that era as well as provide nectar and host plants for butterflies.

The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail has three primary goals:

Educate: Once a year the RCBT hosts their spring symposium in Plains, Georgia to educate the general public on what butterflies need to survive and how to plant butterfly-friendly gardens. This day program is comprised of presentations by experts in the field of gardening and organizations working to establish pollinator-friendly habitats.

Inspire: The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail wants to inspire everyone to plant a butterfly-friendly garden – whether in a container, front yard, library grounds, school or at their place of business. They offer online information about creating a garden, videos on their site, and through their annual symposium.

Increase Habitat for Pollinators: Monarch butterflies help support critical ecosystems by feeding on nectar and pollinating wildflowers, propagating them, and making them abundant. The flowers Monarchs are attracted to are colorful and have flat surfaces where butterflies can rest and relax during their long migratory journeys. Monarch butterflies also serve as critical nourishment for small animals, birds, and other insects. Their existence touches our world in many ways contributing to systems of life that we often do not see.

Joining the trail is free and you can register your garden on their site. They will list your garden’s name on their website along with the city and state in which it is located. That way, everyone can see the collective efforts to improve the migration route of the Monarch Butterfly Trail. Gardens on the trail are owned and maintained by the organization or person that registered it.

The new garden is still in planning stages and will be installed incrementally as funds are raised. To be part of this special garden, please contact them at their website or 229-824-4567. You can also support them by buying a bag of the Cafe Campesino Butterfly Trail Blend. The next 50 people to order RCBT coffee will receive a commemorative seed packet to start their own butterfly garden

August 20, 2021/0 Comments/by Matt Earley

Koinonia Farm: Embracing and Creating Community In Southwest Georgia

Americus Community, Partner Spotlight

Koinonia Farm is a gem of a community that sits just outside of Americus, GA. It was founded in 1942 by Clarence and Florence Jordan and Martin and Mabel England as a “demonstration plot for the kingdom of God.” This meant a community of believers sharing their lives and resources, following the example of the first Christian communities as described in the Acts of the Apostles. Cafe Campesino has partnered with Koinonia for years and we have supported each other in many ways and collaborated on projects including our Koinonia coffee. As a matter of fact, Koinonia was our first wholesale customer when we started up over 20 years ago.

We recently spoke with with Koinonia community member Steve Krout about the farm, his role there, and (of course) his favorite coffee.

Cafe Campesino: What is your role at Koinonia?

Steve: First and foremost, I’m a member of the community. For work, I mainly oversee our shipping operation and help take care of our guests who come for 1-3 months to stay and serve alongside us.

CC: How long have you lived in the community?

Steve: Six and a half years.

CC: What do you like best about being a member of the Koinonia family?

Steve: I like the rhythms of work and prayer and how they are woven together in this place. I love being a part of a people dedicated to creating a space where all people are welcome.

CC: What does a day on the farm look like for you?

Steve: We begin our weekdays by gathering in our chapel for prayer, singing, readings and reflection. After that, I usually move right into shipping our products all over the world! My afternoons consist of a mixture of office work and/or landscaping. In the summer, I’m often picking blueberries or muscadines and scuppernongs before we gather in the chapel. There’s a lot of communal gatherings sprinkled throughout my day…like communal lunch at noontime. And, no day is complete without a healthy amount of shenanigans and dad jokes.

CC: If there was one thing that you have learned living in the community that you want the rest of the world to know, what would that be?

Steve: We belong to each other. Too often we give into the illusion of separateness that leads us towards division and hatred. At our core, we all desire to love and to be loved. As Thomas Merton said, “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another.”

CC: What do you envision the farm and community will be like in 10 years?

Steve: Faithful to the call to love God and to love our neighbors by carrying on the tradition of prayer, hospitality, and service.

CC: Are you a coffee drinker? If so, what kind of coffee do you prefer?

Steve: I drink coffee socially! A lot of us gather together during the weekdays for coffee at our 10:15 break in the morning. We drink the Koinonia Blend, of course. I lived most of my 35 years on this earth without having a single sip of coffee. My first cup of coffee, maybe 4 years ago, was a cup of Colombia French Roast from Cafe Campesino. I’ve grown to appreciate coffee more and more as the days go by.

To find out more about Koinonia, their incredible community, and ways to take part and/or support, please visit their website. And if you’d like to try their most excellent coffee blend, you can check it out here.

July 17, 2021/0 Comments/by Matt Earley

Atlanta’s El Viñedo Local Is A Unique Midtown Gem

Partner Spotlight

On a recent rainy Saturday, a couple of us journeyed to midtown Atlanta to check out El Viñedo Local — a gorgeous South American-themed restaurant we’re happy to say serves Cafe Campesino’s shade grown, fair trade, organic coffee. Although other staff members from Cafe Campesino have visited frequently, this was our first trip. We came away so impressed (and full of delicious food) that we followed up with them to find out more about how the restaurant came about and what inspired them to create it. We spoke with owner Robert Kaster about all things Viñedo (Spanish for vineyard).

Eva Avenue: What inspired you to open your excellent restaurant?

Robert: Some type of wine bar/restaurant has been something I wanted to do for a long time. I had a career for 24 years with Hilton hotels. I decided in 2017 to leave the corporate world and pursue my passion. We live in the neighborhood here so we’re down a few blocks. We wanted to bring something to the neighborhood that you couldn’t readily get everywhere. It’s the type of food I tried and fell in love with. The nuances between South American food and Central American food are very different. We did site selection and then went out to seek out the products that would be the best for this concept. Cafe Campesino coffees, certainly the wines, and finding the right chef.

Eva: How’d you find Bruno, your chef?

Robert: More than anything we got lucky. We actually had kind of identified another person before the pandemic who was a chef but did not come from South American and would’ve had to try to replicate the food. After the pandemic we got back to the need to hire a chef . We were so fortunate when Bruno applied and we saw his background and where he was from. We interviewed him and it was a right fit. Things happen for a reason and there was definitely a reason for it.

Bruno’s from Uruguay and after high school he moved up here to Atlanta. He had an opportunity to work with some pretty great chefs and in some great restaurants. He was able to learn and perfect his culinary skills by working with all these great chefs here in the city. This gave him an opportunity to go back and start creating food from his childhood.

Eva: What was your connection to falling in love with South American food?

Robert: For me, it was more what I had tried– arepas, empanadas– and I always loved it. There are certainly many variations on empanadas from different regions of the world. Spain is where it all originated, you have the Philipino empanadas, but the ones I enjoyed the most are from South American tradition. Not really spicy like the ones from Mexico. More nuanced flavors, a more traditional beef empanada. Another thing that solidified it is that we knew we wanted to do something with wine. Not only because it’s not spicy, I mean Mexican is harder to pair with wines, unless it’s really sweet wine, but South American food pairs really well with wine. There’s even Peruvian wines– I wish we could get a hold of some, but we can’t at the moment.

They’re great value too, we wanted to create a space where people could try things they’ve never had before. The nice thing about South American wines is that people might not be not as familiar with Chilean Carmenere. The other thing with wines from South America, for the money you spend, you get some great quality. We can put things on the menu that are reasonably priced and people can try them.

Eva: How’d you find Cafe Campesino?

Robert: That’s an interesting story. We were trying to figure out roasters. We knew what prompted a robust coffee program for us is the fact that our space is inside an office building. When we were negotiating the lease we knew an important thing for the tenants would be a great coffee program. So we were going to do it right– get the right coffee, the right equipment. We visited some roasters in Atlanta. There’s a blog called Atlanta Coffeehouse and I was reading stories about some of the other coffeehouses and their products and Banjo Coffee came up. I was reading in the blog where they were asked why they had selected Cafe Campesino coffees and talked about farmer stories. I said this is interesting, this seems like the type of thing we may be looking at for our concept. We went to the website and got to know Cafe Campesino and called. Tripp called me back pretty quickly and we decided to come down and visit the roastery and went over to the cafe as well and meet everybody and see what it’s all about. This is exactly who we want to be, we want to support people in South America. First and foremost. If we can bring products from there– wines, coffees, even our empanada dough we import from Argentina. After talking to Tripp and really understanding what Cafe Campesino is about, the relationship with the farmers and how it really helps the farmers down there, we really felt it’s the right thing to go with our concept. It aligned really well with our values and that is what we were looking for.

Eva: Tell me about your lead barista. She really loves coffee!

Robert: Nia! Once again, it was just, for us, we knew we needed to put a coffee program together. Keith and I didn’t know a lot about putting a coffee program together. In Americus, they helped us find the right machines and equipment, but the one piece we didn’t have was a recruiter. We posted on Zip Recruiter and Nia came up as one of the candidates. We interviewed four people and felt she was the right person. She communicated to us that she liked that we wanted to present the coffee correctly. To start with a great product, it doesn’t need a lot of additives to make it good, and it’s roasted well. We brought her in, we showed her how we set everything up after we talked to you guys. She said this is a barista area. She could see we were serious about putting together a program and we wanted to do it correctly and that is what inspired her to join our team. We’ve given her an opportunity to teach us how a coffee program should be. She’s done a great job presenting your coffee in the best light and I think your customers appreciate that as well.

If you are in Atlanta in the midtown area, go check out El Viñedo– you will not regret it. Try the arepas and a lovely espresso. And if you would like to try some other South American coffee, check out our 20% off sale running from now through Sunday night 7/11. Don’t forget to use coupon code SOUTHAM20 at check out!

July 6, 2021/0 Comments/by Matt Earley

The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail: Creating Beauty and Habitat For Monarchs

Americus Community, Benefit Blends, Partner Spotlight, Sustainability

Monarch Butterflies are on the verge of extinction. In the last twenty years scientists estimate that the world population of these iconic insects has plummeted 80%. The reasons for their decline are varied, but almost all have to do with human encroachment on their habitats. Herbicide use, deforestation, and climate change are all having negative effects on the Monarch and we are running out of time to stop their disappearance. Tops on the list of causes for their decline is the absence of milkweed and other pollinators on farms and in developed spaces. Monarch butterflies need milkweed as a place to lay their eggs and, when it is removed, butterflies lose their ability to reproduce effectively. Monarch caterpillars survive exclusively on milkweed, but the plant has seen dramatic decreases in the past 20 years as herbicide spraying has increased in the US and Mexico. With the advent of genetically modified crops that have been engineered to tolerate herbicides, usage of these toxic chemicals has increased substantially. These chemicals destroy milkweed as well as cripple Monarch caterpillars and adult butterfly populations.

Monarchs are gorgeous, but they are more than simple eye candy. Monarch butterflies help support critical ecosystems by feeding on nectar and pollinating wildflowers propagating them making them abundant. The flowers Monarchs are attracted to are colorful and have flat surfaces where butterflies can rest and relax during their long migratory journeys. Monarch butterflies also serve as critical nourishment for small animals, for birds, and for other insects. Their existence touches our world in many ways contributing to systems of life that we often do not see.

In 2013 former First Lady Rosalynn Carter became aware of the dramatic decline in Monarch populations. She was concerned and wanted to do something to help. She contacted her good friend and neighbor Annette Wise and they discussed making changes in her garden that would focus on adding pollinator plants such as milkweed into her garden mix. This single garden led to the creation of the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail. They founded the Carter Butterfly Trail to show that everyday people can help Monarch butterflies thrive once again. Their aim is to inspire anyone interested in the plight of the insects to plant a butterfly-friendly garden of their own anywhere the work or live.

Butterfly gardens do not have to be massive endeavors. They can be effective “in a container, front yard, library grounds, school or… place of business”. In other words no place should be considered too small or out of the way to make a big difference. They offer online information about creating gardens, educational videos on their website, and discussion opportunities through their annual symposium. The Butterfly Trail started in Plains, GA, but now has close to 1200 gardens in their network scattered across the USA as well as in Canada, Europe, and Japan. Joining the garden is free, you only need to commit to provide nectar and host plants to butterflies common in your area. Starting your own butterfly garden is easy and in doing so you will give Monarchs a place to lay their eggs and recover during their incredible sojourns.

On Saturday 5/22 at 10am we will be cutting the ribbon on our own Butterfly Garden at Cafe Campesino. We will also be hosting a plant sale featuring two gorgeous types of azaleas grown by acclaimed native azalea expert Ernest Koone and named for Rosalynn Carter and President Jimmy Carter. The sale, which will also feature native milkweed and pollinator plants, is being held from 9am-1pm behind the cafe and proceeds will go to support the important work for the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail. We hope to see you there! If you cannot make it, or even if you can, please consider grabbing a bag or two of our Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail blend. It raises funds and public awareness for the Trail and it tastes awesome to boot!

May 12, 2021/0 Comments/by Matt Earley

Mexico’s Maya Vinic Gets A Leg Up On Climate Change

Coffee Education, Partner Spotlight

Maya Vinic has been a Cafe Campesino partner for over twenty years. Their progress and development in Mexico’s most southern state of Chiapas has been one filled with all manners of serious challenges. The cooperative was born in the aftermath of the Acteal Massacre– an attack on farmer families and others in the small community that resulted in the death of 47 unarmed people, mostly women and children. Their struggle for the recognition of their basic rights as human beings and indigenous people led them to form their own pacifist movement “Las Abejas” or, in English, “The Bees”. It also spawned their own coffee farming cooperative that has survived and prospered, even in the face of continued threats, harassment, and attacks by paramilitaries in neighboring communities.

In the winter of 2015/2016 the farmers of Maya Vinic came face to face with another challenge– climate change. While they had noted environmental changes over time, that season was a stark warning for what lay ahead. The changing weather and soil conditions all over Latin America led to a massive proliferation and spread of the coffee rust fungus, known in Spanish as “La Roya”. In a very short time the fungus contaminated and destroyed well over 60% of their coffee crops leaving them with very little coffee to sell locally or internationally. At that point they realized that if they did not find a way to counter this plant disease, the members and their families would be at risk of not being able to meet even their most basic needs.

Over the course of 2016 the cooperative explored ways to reconstitute their coffee fields. They hired two agronomists who worked with them to create a field school that would teach farmers from different communities how to recover their coffee crops. In 2017 Maya Vinic instituted training for 162 farmers at various field school workshops located in their communities. There, farmers learned how to improve their traps for the coffee boring beetle, improve their composting practices and develop basic mineral broths to enhance soil fertility and overall coffee plant health. While the conventional wisdom focused on replanting new hybrids that were more resistant to Roya, they chose to put equal focus on agroecological farming methods. While they did back that strategy with experimenting with different types of arabica coffee plants, they put a premium on deepening the health of the soil and the environment around the plants.

Because coffee plants take three years to mature and produce, they knew that they would have to work fast. Cooperative Coffees, the cooperatively-owned importing company which Cafe Campesino is a charter member, began supporting the field schools not long after they began through our Co-op Impact Committee. Over a three year period we have watched Maya Vinic farmers embrace agroecological methods for growing coffee and we have seen their dedication pay off. Their production has now largely recovered and they are now in a good position to resist not only another coffee rust outbreak, but any other plant blight that may come along due to changing rain, soil, and weather patterns.

To find out more about Maya Vinic check out their website. And to taste their amazing coffee just click here and grab a couple of bags.

March 17, 2021/0 Comments/by Matt Earley

Celebrating Sweet Auburn

Partner Spotlight

In a small town in the farmlands of Southwest Georgia, we roast a delicious organic coffee called Sweet Auburn. Everyone loves the taste, but not everyone knows the story behind the name.

Some ten years ago, with our friend and long-time Cafe Campesino supporter Maria Moore-Riggs of Revolution Donuts, we had the opportunity to open a coffee house in the historic Sweet Auburn Curb Market. Despite our best efforts the shop never really took off, but our experience there was a valuable one. Since then the Sweet Auburn Blend has remained a favorite and has become one of our top selling coffees. The blend continues to be our homage to the historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta and to the people we met and know there.

The name “Sweet Auburn” itself came from John Wesley Dobbs, once upon a time the unofficial mayor of what he called “the richest Negro street in the world”. Known for many years as the spine of the city’s Black community, Sweet Auburn runs along and around Auburn Avenue in east Atlanta. While segregation was firmly cemented as the racial order, Black businesses thrived in Sweet Auburn. The success of this business district drew more African-Americans from outside the area, causing the budding community to flourish. Dobbs co-founded the Atlanta Negro Voters League, which helped get 20,000 local African Americans registered from 1936-1946. This new political power helped gain the hiring of the first eight African-American police officers in Atlanta. At 79, Dobbs died the same week that the Atlanta city schools were desegregated in 1961.

Over the years, Sweet Auburn grew to be a major center of African American culture in the city – and the South – known for music, religion, politics, and culture. The longest-running black newspaper in the U.S., the Atlanta Daily World, was launched in the area in 1928 and still operates today. Musicians Gladys Knight, Ray Charles, and Little Richard all cut their teeth in Sweet Auburn’s popular clubs, giving audiences sneak previews of the future of popular music.

The Ebenezer Baptist Church, founded in 1886, became the center of the modern Civil Rights Movement and is well known for its former head pastor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as for its current leader, and newly elected U.S. Senator, Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock. The neighborhood has few parallels in its prominence in Black life and overall contributions to Atlanta’s great history.

In the 1960s and immediately after, following several economic downturns, the neighborhood began to struggle with a lack of investment. This was exacerbated by the construction of the Downtown Connector freeway that split the neighborhood in half and raised an unnatural barrier to commerce and traffic flow. Sweet Auburn was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, but by 2006, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation listed Sweet Auburn as a “Place In Peril.”. In recent years, re-investment has come in the form of gentrification that, while improving the overall economic outlook of the area, threatens its unique flavor and personality.

To honor the district we will be donating 10% of all February online sales of the Sweet Auburn blend to the King Center. Founded in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”) has inspired and educated millions of visitors who come to The Center to learn about Dr. King’s work and vision. We salute Sweet Auburn for all of its incredible history and for its contributions to the rich culture of the state of Georgia and to the entire country.

February 5, 2021/0 Comments/by Matt Earley