Africatown and The Alabama-Benin Trade Forum | AWARE! | WSRE

Host Dee Dee Sharp and her guests discuss the relationship between Alabama and the African nation of Benin, and how the relationship began with the establishment of Africatown, a community of former slaves. Also known as Africatown USA and Plateau, it is a historic settlement located north of Mobile, Alabama. It was formed by West Africans who were among the last known illegal shipment of slaves to the U.S. from Africa in 1860, after the Atlantic slave trade had been banned. Creating their own community, these people retained their West African language and customs for many years following the end of the Civil War. The panel includes Elder Makinde A. Gbolahan and Henry Haseeb with the Alabama-Benin Trade Forum, and, via telephone, Dr. Sharon Ingram, CEO and Chairman of the Alabama-Benin Trade Forum. In addition to the historical overview, the panelists also discuss the opportunities that exist for trade and cultural exchange with Benin and West Africa.