Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama designed and painted this large scale art piece to represent the history of Africatown, an important historical community near Mobile, AL. The bright red colors and the letters of this youth-led art project spell “Africatown,” with each letter depicting something about the region, whether it’s the landscape, waterways, churches, homes, school bridge, and people in the community.
Africatown is a historic community located three miles north of downtown Mobile, Alabama. It was formed by a group of 32 West Africans, who in 1860 were included in the last known illegal shipment of slaves to the United States on the Clotilda. These people founded their own community in what became Africatown and retained their West African customs and language into the 1950s. The Africatown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Under the direction of local artist Soynika Edwards-Bush, middle school members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama designed and painted this beautiful painting. Soynika Edwards-Bush is a mother, wife, instructor, and artist passionate about her community and helping others. Over the years, the self-taught artist has used her craft as a tool to uplift her community and inspire others. Her most notable projects include creating murals for the city Prichard and the 2019 Festival of Flowers in collaboration with the Mobile Arts Council and the Strickland Youth Center.
The original painting has been photographed and applied to a variety of items available for purchase through our Africatown Shop. 100% of the profits from the sale of these items will fund camp and educational experiences for any youth who live or attend school in the greater Africatown community. More information can be found here.
