A native of Mobile’s Crichton neighborhood, Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood has served the Mobile County area, the state of Alabama and the country through her work as an attorney.

She served as an assistant city attorney and assistant county attorney before being elected to the commission in 2007. In addition, from 1991-1995 she led the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama, which provided civil legal services to low-income residents of the state, and from 1995-1998 she worked for the national Legal Services Corporation.

In her time on the commission, she has worked on numerous projects, and most recently has taken the lead on constructing the Africatown Heritage House, which will tell the story of Africatown and the Clotilda. The heritage house is set to open July 8 with an exhibit displaying pieces of the Clotilda.

Here, Ludgood discusses the ongoing issues in her district, the legacy of segregation in Mobile, and how she’s working to revitalize some of Mobile’s historic communities.

Questions and answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.