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Today is an important anniversary in our community. 160 years ago today, on July 9, 1860, the schooner Clotilda arrived in Mobile Bay. The ship was carrying 110 people who were taken from their homes in Africa and smuggled into Alabama as slaves.
This shameful and illegal act is a painful part of our history, and the Clotilda is remembered as the last known slave ship to enter the United States
In recent years, the wreckage of the Clotilda was discovered in Mobile Bay, not far from the Africatown community where many of the descendants continue to reside.
Efforts are underway to build a new visitor’s center in Africatown, and to create a memorial for the Clotilda.
There are challenges in Africatown, which has suffered from neglect and poverty for decades. But a new vision is emerging, and for the first time in generations there is hope for the future.
Yes, the story of the Clotilda is a painful one. But it is also inspirational. The unique aspect of this story is the perseverance and resilience of the people of Africatown.
