The Clotilda Descendants Association (CDA) will be hosting its annual Landing Event & Ancestor Festival (L.E.A.F.) Weekend from Friday, July 3 – Sunday, July 6 in Mobile, Alabama. This is the first year the CDA’s two signature events will be combined. The LEAF event is a series of events that celebrate and commemorate the history of the Clotilda survivors and their descendants. This year, well-known Africatown activists Ramsey Sprague and Clotilda Descendant Assata De la Cruz will lead the CDA Environmental Justice Summit at the festival, and critically acclaimed New York Times journalist Jamelle Bouie, will be the keynote speaker at the CDA Reception – “Protect Truth Summit: History and Journalism in American Democracy”on the evening of Friday, July 4 at The Admiral Hotel in downtown Mobile.

The Story: The Clotilda arrived on U.S. shores via the Mobile River in July of 1860. 110 Clotilda survivors were enslaved by several families, and endured unimaginable hardships. However, they still managed to survive until they were freed at the conclusion of the Civil War. They showed great resilience and built a community that still stands today, called Africatown, which is in the Plateau region of the greater Mobile area.

The purpose of this weekend’s events is to help raise awareness about this history, preserve the legacy of the ancestors that survived the voyage of the Clotilda and the harsh enslavement they endured at the hands of Timothy Meaher, his brothers and other families. Also, the organization honors the Africatown community as one of the most important legacies of the Clotilda survivors, and highlights the current social, economic and environmental injustices and issues that the CDA advocates for via important initiatives, projects and organized calls to action. The CDA and LEAF Committee welcome all media interviews and questions about the LEAF event.

Event Line-Up

Friday, July 3rd

Clotilda Descendants Association Meet & Greet at Africatown Heritage House

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Open to public)

Address: 2465 Winbush Street, Mobile Alabama 36610

Descendant Celebration Reception at Kazoola

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Open to public)

Address: 558 Dauphin St #2110, Mobile, AL 36602

• Cocktail Hour & Entertainment with Clotilda Descendants

Friday, July 4th

Ancestor Festival at the Hope Center/Mobile County Training School (Open to public)

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Address: 850 Edwards St, Mobile, AL 36610

“Protect Truth Summit: History and Journalism in American Democracy” at The Admiral Hotel (Open to public)

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Address: 251 Government St, Mobile, AL 36602

Saturday, July 5th

Landing Ceremony under the Africatown Bridge (Open to public)

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Address: 101 Bay Bridge Road, Mobile, Alabama 36610

Perdido Queen Brunch Cruise (Closed Event, but some media photos and interviews allowed)

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Address: 1 South Water Street, Mobile, Alabama 36602

Sunday, July 6th

Church Service with Descendants at Union Missionary Baptist Church

10:45 AM

Address: 506 Bay Bridge Road, Mobile, Alabama 36610

The LEAF Committee and CDA Officers are available for interviews. To learn more about the CDA and its work or events visit https://theclotildastory.com/event-directory/.