As the United States marks 250 years of independence this summer, one Alabama community is posing a question that cuts to the heart of the celebration: whose stories get to define freedom? In Africatown, a historic neighborhood in the Plateau region of Mobile, the answer will unfold over four days of remembrance, celebration and conversation.
The Clotilda Descendants Association is hosting its annual Landing Event & Ancestor Festival, known as LEAF, from Thursday, July 9, through Sunday, July 12. The weekend honors the 110 African men, women and children who survived the voyage of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to reach the United States, and celebrates the descendants who have carried their story forward for more than a century and a half.
The history behind the festival
The Clotilda arrived on U.S. shores via the Mobile River in July 1860, decades after the transatlantic slave trade had been outlawed. Its 110 survivors were enslaved by several families, including the Meaher family, and endured brutal conditions until they were freed at the end of the Civil War. Rather than scatter, they built something extraordinary: a self-sustaining community called Africatown, which still stands today. This year’s festival also celebrates a milestone recognition, as the community honors the Africatown Middle Passage Marker designated by UNESCO, an acknowledgment of the survivors’ history and the legacy their descendants continue to protect.
The big names headlining this year
The 2026 lineup brings some heavyweight voices to Mobile. Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of The 1619 Project, joins National Geographic’s Tara Roberts, known for the documentary series Clotilda: The Return Home, and author, director and designer Cebo Campbell. Campbell will deliver the keynote address at the association’s reception, titled Protect Truth Summit: Controlling OUR Stories and Legacies, on Friday, July 10, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at The Admiral Hotel in downtown Mobile. His acclaimed debut novel, Sky Full of Elephants, will be a featured topic at the summit, fitting given that much of the story takes place in Mobile.
4 days of events across Mobile
The festival stretches across the city with a full slate of gatherings. 1. Thursday, July 9, opens with a meet and greet at the Africatown Heritage House from noon to 4 p.m., followed by a descendant celebration reception at Kazoola on Dauphin Street from 6 to 9 p.m., complete with a cocktail hour and DJ entertainment. 2. Friday, July 10, features the Spirit of Our Ancestors Festival at the Hope Center at Mobile County Training School from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., before the evening summit at The Admiral Hotel…