The board of directors for the Africatown Redevelopment Corporation (ARC) has been officially appointed, Alabama House Representative Adline C. Clarke announced on October 6, 2021, in Mobile.
The ARC board was established to preserve and revitalize Africatown, the historic community north of downtown Mobile founded by survivors of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to bring Africans to the United States.
A new chapter for Africatown
The creation of the corporation and its board marks a significant step in formalizing efforts to guide Africatown’s future. The community has drawn growing national and international attention since the wreck of the Clotilda was confirmed in the Mobile River in 2019.
Preservation advocates and descendants of the Clotilda’s passengers have long called for coordinated investment in the neighborhood’s infrastructure, housing, and cultural sites. The ARC board is expected to serve as a central body for planning and directing those revitalization efforts.
The appointment was announced through a press release from the Alabama House of Representatives, underscoring the state-level support for Africatown’s redevelopment.