AFRICATOWN’s FOUNDATION awards 13 Grants totaling $55K to Africatown Supporters to “Tell Their Africatown Story”
Thanks to their commitment to the Africatown Community, Dr. Janet Fiskio with Oberlin College, Dr. Ted Toadvine with Penn State University and Dr. Kern Jackson with The University of South Alabama combined their grant writing skilled that allowed The Africatown Heritage Preservation Foundation to receive funds to be awarded to Africatown Supporters, individuals or an entity, that were selected thru a competitive process to tell their Africatown story. The funds also allowed for The Africatown Foundation to hire a Grants Manager, Ms Chiquitta Howard, to help the award winners by monitoring the progress of each award winner for the 2 year life of the project. $55,000.00 has been awarded for the year 2026 and the same process will begin soon for an additional $55,000.00 to be awarded for the year 2027 to another group of contestants.
The award winners for Part 1 (2026) of ” Telling Their Africatown Story” are:
1. Navy Chief (ret) Jason Lewis – “The Africatown Maroon Gardens” – A Memorial to Africatown Military Veterans, especially those that died on active duty or received high military honors in combat.
2. Erica Powell & Lister Portis – “Union Baptist Church Museum”
3. Chandra LeDoux – “Magazine Point Green Garden Space”
4. Shirley Ford – “Africatown Wall of Fame”
5. Thelma Maiben-Owen – “S.O.S. Saving Our Seniors” A garden that consists of healthy food for seniors.
6. Pastor Willie Burns – “Pine Grove AME Church Historical Marker”
7. Adrienne Brown & Father Victor Ingalls – “Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church Marker”
8. Vernetta Henson – “Gathering Africatown Recipes for a Cookbook”
9. Patricia Frazier – ” A Pedestal Marker for Kanko Dennison” in The Africatown Cemetery
10. Madison Williams – “Seed Library and Demonstration Garden”
11. Ruth Ballard, Gail Atkinson & Mrs. Gillette – ” Africatown Quilters”
12. Joycelyn Davis – “A Lewis Memorial Marker for The Lewis Family Cemetery”
13. Christopher Whitley – “Mr. Isaiah J. Whitley Monument”
The process that begins Part 2 (2027) of “Telling Their Africatown Story” will be kicked off with a meeting at The Robert Hope Community Center in Africatown on Thursday, October 1st. Everyone, in Mobile County and beyond, is invited to attend to learn more about how YOU or YOUR ORGANIZATION can be involved.
This year’s Award Luncheon was dedicated to the memory of Mr. Vernon “Burn” and “Mommy” Rosie Simpson, a very well respected couple within The Africatown Community. They left a legacy of love and giving throughout the entire community that is still being shown through their children and grandchildren.
Dr. Major Joe Womack USMCR(ret)
