Gene Kansas, an award-winning cultural developer, preservationist, and social entrepreneur, joins us to discuss his book Civil Sights (UGA Press, 2025), about the Sweet Auburn Historic District in Atlanta and the movement to preserve it.

Sweet Auburn Historic District is the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), and was a hub for Black commerce and civil rights. As it began to decline after the ’60s, preservation efforts began, including its designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1976, to save its history, including MLK’s home.