05/11/2026
Open Table United Church of Christ Thanks Please join Us
Congratulations, Africatown Heritage Preservation Foundation and Chiquitta Clemons-Howard and Africa Town Freedom Tours!!!!!
The Africatown Heritage Preservation Foundation has been awarded a $500K two - year Humanities in Place Grant titled "Sharing The Africatown Story". The grant is managed in collaboration with Oberlin College, Penn State University and The University of South Alabama. The Principle Investigators for the project are Africatown Natives Joycelyn Davis and Dr. Major Joe Womack, both members of The Africatown Foundation's Board of Directors.
The grant supports public convening, community led research, and community based organizations in Africatown. The major focus of the grant is to develop projects led by community members, community organizations and Africatown supporters as long as the project is done in and for the Africatown Community that tell the story of Africatown in their own words. Over $110K is made available over a 2 year period to be awarded to Africatown natives, residents and supporters for the best project ideas selected in a very competitive process. There is a 10 person Project Award Committee that will choose the best project ideas submitted. The person or organization that submitted the proposed project must also be able to complete the project themselves with the assistance of a Project Manager hired by The Foundation. The Project Manager hired by The Africatown Heritage Preservation is Ms. Chiquitta "Kita" Howard, a well known person throughout the Africatown Community. All projects and products will be free and accessible to the public. A public conference is planned at the end of the second year.
The Africatown Heritage Preservation Foundation was established in 2019 to steward and promote The Historic, Cultural and Economic value of Africatown. As part of this work, The Foundation nurtures healing and collaborative efforts related to Africatown. This grant will strengthen The Foundation's collaborate endeavors within the community, as well as drawing on support from long standing academic partnerships.
The first public meeting about the grant will be held Thursday, May 14th beginning at 5 pm at The Robert Hope Community Center located at 850 Edwards Street, Mobile 36610 in The Africatown Community. Refreshments will be served.
