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Abstract
This study helps to expand geographys engagement with racialized landscapes by focusing on the construction of significant racialized places by those who live, work and organize along the Auburn Avenue corridor. As racialized populations grow in demographic, political and economic importance, we need to comprehend the multiplicity and contested nature of racialized identities constructed from within racialized communities. This study enhances previous work by: 1) reconsidering the place-making agency of racialized residents and leaders without losing sight of racialized places as the result of the imposition of hegemonic white power; 2) highlighting the significance of conflict within minority communities; 3) recognizing the multiple and potentially incommensurate racialized identities that places often carry; and 4) exploring the power of memorials to (re)inscribe race into these landscapes; through a case study of Auburn Avenue, Atlanta Georgias most historically significant African American neighborhood. This study links detailed analysis of archival data with open-ended interviews of key community stakeholders. The study is situated broadly within an approach that highlights the importance of discourse and illuminates the complexity of racial identity formation and place making in the Auburn Avenue community.