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The 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition was a turning point for Atlanta history and the Negro Building is to thank. The Exposition received federal funding of $200,000 on the condition the Negro Building was constructed, part of Atlanta’s post-war rebranding efforts.
Located at the then Jackson Street entrance to Piedmont Park, the Negro Building opened October 21, 1895, as the first designated space showcasing African-American achievements since the Emancipation Proclamation. The building housed exhibitions made by African-American students and local businesspeople, and was used as a gathering place for discussions on the civil rights movement.