Located in Mobile, AL, our community of Africatown has a unique place in US history. It was founded by Africans who originated from Benin and Nigeria. Kidnapped and illegally enslaved in Alabama in 1860, these survivors came together after the Civil War to build a community for themselves, which they called Africatown. For a century, Africatown remained self-governed.

Africatown joined Mobile's city government in 1960 to gain access to city water and sewer services. Sadly, with that incorporation and loss of our sovereignty, Africatown became prey to the systemic and intentional design of Mobile officials to ensure Black-White segregation. Among other strategies, the government applied restrictive zoning and built highways on our land.

Today, we in Africatown are fighting erasure as a result of the continued divestment by the city and a history of environmental abuse. There are two major paper mills, a water treatment center, oil storage tanks — all zoned here after 1960. In the 1990s, displacement took the form of constructing I-165 and the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge. Over the past 50 years, Africatown lost historical areas such as Hog Bayou and Lewis Quarters to industrial encroachment. Our population shrank from 12,000 to some 2,000 people... many people simply fleeing the pollution.

However, our community has rallied to reclaim Africatown and fight the continued racist and polluting policies of the local government. In an effort to create a sustainable economy, we are now exploring ways to build a heritage tourism program that honors the rich traditions that predate our affiliation with Mobile. You are holding in your hands our most recent efforts.

Thank you for coming to explore the real Africatown.