In 1868, Africatown was established in Mobile and Prichard, Alabama, by members of the last cargo of slaves brought to the United States. The community deserves recognition as a National Historic District because it is one of the few places in America where most residents can collectively trace their lineage to a group of pure Africans. In its earliest history, most of the Africatown men worked in the local lumber mills, and the women became fruit and vegetable vendors, cooks, or laundresses. These people were known as craftspeople, especially for woodworking and quiltmaking. Africatown is also well known for its folk medicine, and most residents continue to rely on traditional African herbal drugs. Like most African music, the music in Africatown is chiefly vocal. The area is rich in folktales, many of which need to be recorded and documented. Another cultural area in particular need of preservation efforts is architecture. Many of Africatown's older shotgun houses and bungalows should be restored and preserved as monuments to the unsung craftsmen who erected them. Formal efforts to preserve Africatown began with the founding of the Progressive League in 1957, and in 1981 Africatown was nominated to become a National Historic District. In 1985, the Alabama legislature officially recognized Africatown as an historic area and made provisions for its establishment as a State park. (KH)