professionals to assist in finding “decent, safe, and sanitary housing” if they were unable to successfully find an apartment in public housing. 211
Figure B-15: "Buttermilk Bottom in the Heart of Atlanta", leaflet by SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), 1964 Source: Civil Rights Movement Archive
Reverend Edward Ducree, the first Black graduate from the Candler School of Theology, was prompted by the assassination of Dr. King, Jr. to work towards racial reconciliation. 212 The CRISIS House was the solution Ducree sought to implement after many discussions with seminary students. The CRISIS was located on Vernon Street and created a Housing Authority for the people of Buttermilk Bottom from 1966 to 1968, led by Ducree and assisted by Dan Welch, a decon in the United Methodist Church and theology graduate student. 213 The CRISIS House was formulated by Ducree and philosophically based on the spiritual principals of Christian Realism. CRISIS stood for “Christian Realism Involving Students In Society”. Ducree said that it was “important to involve White students in the efforts to improve the conditions of Black neighborhoods” as it demonstrated a sincere connection to the human experiences and the residents. 214 Ducree grew up in Beford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, a neighborhood that was classified as a slum and he had similar experiences like the residents of Buttermilk Bottom. Recognizing and understanding the challenges faced in Buttermilk Bottom, 211 The Atlanta Urban League Collection, Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library and Archives Research Center. 212 V.H., “The Racial Crises and Student Response.”, The Emory Magazine, Vol. 44, Number 5, September- October 1968. 213 V.H., “The Racial Crises and Student Response.” 214 Conversation with Rev. Edward Ducree.
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