Backgrounder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information,

February 20, 2023 Contact:
Milena Mata
Media Relations Specialist
251-764-5721
mmata@southalabama.edu

Clotilda and Africatown

Clotilda was the last known slave ship that arrived in Mobile, bringing 110 slaves. This occurred
despite the act of 1807 prohibiting the importation of slaves in an attempt to end the slave trade.
Timothy Meaher was responsible for smuggling Clotilda with the aid of ship captain William Foster.
His crew burned the ship and kept the remnants hidden in the water until their discovery in 2019.

Dr. Kern Jackson is an English professor at USA specializing in African studies. He has been a
member of the faculty since 2004. He is also the director of the African American studies program.
He had a prominent role in the making of “Descendant.” Jackson co-wrote and co-produced the
film along with Margaret Brown, the director.

“Descendant” also explores Africatown. Africatown is a community formed by the descendants of

the slaves who survived throughout the years and built a community as free people. It served as a
refuge for the survivors. It began around 1868 after the emancipation of slaves, and around 100
descendants still live there. It is located north of Mobile. The documentary includes conversations
from “Barracoon: The Story of the Last ‘Black Cargo’” created by Zora Neale Hurston. It is a
written collection of interviews she conducted in 1927 with Oluale Kossola, one of the last known
survivors.

The community continues to share the events of Clotilda through public establishments. Africatown
Heritage House holds an exhibition detailing the lives of the people brought to Mobile and the
upbringing of their descendants.

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Fact Sheet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information,
February 20, 2023 Contact:
Milena Mata
Media Relations Specialist
251-764-5721
mmata@southalabama.edu

WHAT
• The University of South Alabama is the largest university in Mobile, Ala.
• USA has 11 colleges and schools and offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.
• “Descendant” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2022.
• Clotilda is the last known slave ship to arrive in the U.S.
• The Slave Wrecks Project collaborated with the Alabama Historical Commission to discover
the ship remnants.

WHO
• Dr. Kern Jackson is an English professor specializing in African studies.
• Jo Bonner is the current president of USA.

WHEN
• The University of South Alabama was founded in 1963.
• Clotilda arrived in 1860 after the act of 1807 prohibiting the importation of slaves.
• The NAACP Image Awards will broadcast on Feb. 25, 2023.

WHERE
• The slaves from Clotilda arrived at Mobile Bay.
• Africatown is located north of Mobile in an area called Plateau.
• “Descendant” featured people and locations in Mobile, Ala.

WHY
• “Descendant” is receiving recognition for its work in maintaining the memory of the
survivors.
• Africatown is an important piece of Mobile’s history is important to remember the history of
slavery in Mobile.
• Many were unaware of the events until the discovery of Clotilda’s remnants.

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