Africatown’s sixth annual Spirit of our Ancestors Festival has begun, with a variety of events celebrating the legacy of the community founded by survivors of the slave ship Clotilda.

Presented by the Clotilda Descendants Association, the festival features a full slate of activities including film screenings; appearances by historian Hannah Durkin, author of a revelatory new book, “The Survivors of the Clotilda;” a keynote address by Smithsonian curator Mary Elliott; and presentations of the original play “An Ocean in My Bones,” first seen in an early form at last year’s fest.

“Over the years, we have honored the men, women and children who survived some of the worst conditions imaginable,” said festival organizer Joycelyn Davis, a co-founder of the Clotilda Descendants Association. “They lived courageous and influential lives in spite of being homesick and abused. Dr. Hannah’s book shed light on new names, whose stories will be added to ours and remembered.

“Mary Elliott taught me the importance of remembering my own Ancestors’ stories,” Davis continued, in a statement released by the association. “This is why our Festival theme this year is ‘Pieces of the Dream: Reconciling Our History.’ Now, we can honor even more of the African Ancestors at this and future festivals.”

A timeline of related events:

Film Festival

The Spirit of Our Ancestors Film Festival, which began Jan. 26-27 at the Prichard Public Library, continues through Friday, Feb. 2, at the Mobile Public Library. The Netflix documentary “Descendant” and “60 Minutes” segments on the Clotilda will be shown from 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, at the Ben May Main Library. They will be shown at the Toulminville Branch Library from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, and from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. Screenings are free to the public and no tickets are required.

Author appearances

Hannah Durkin’s new book, “The Survivors of the Clotilda: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the American Slave Trade,” reaches beyond Africatown to pull together the stories of Clotilda survivors scattered across southwest and west-central Alabama. On Wednesday, Jan. 31, in conjunction with the Spirit of Our Ancestors Festival, she will speak at the Historic Avenue Cultural Center, 564 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. in Mobile. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. admission is free and is on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, visit theclotildastory.com. On Sunday, Feb. 4, she will visit the Haunted Book Shop at 9 S. Joachim St. from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event is billed as a book-signing and a conversation; according to the shop, she will be joined by Jeremy Ellis of the Clotilda Descendants Association. Attendance is free but space is limited, so online advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

‘Spirit of Our Ancestors’ program (Saturday)

The central event of the festival starts at noon Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Mobile County Training School Gymnasium, 800 Whitley St. and will feature vendors and a health fair, according to promotional information. Festivities begin at noon with a libation ceremony, followed by an invocation and then a welcome by Delisha Marshal, a descendant of Peter Lee, also known as Gumpa, and Josephine Lee. Tiffany Pogue, a descendant of Pollee Allen, will give a spoken word presentation at 12:40 p.m. and then University of South Alabama professor Kern Jackson will introduce Mary N. Elliott, a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, who will deliver a keynote address at 12:45 p.m. Playwright Terrence Spivey, writer and director of the play “An Ocean in My Bones,” will introduce a preview of the play at 2 p.m. Jeremy Ellis, president of the Clotilda Descendants Association, will make closing remarks at 3:05 p.m.

‘Spirit of Our Ancestors’ program (Sunday)

The festival will again open with a libation ceremony and drumming by Wayne Curtis at noon, followed by an invocation and a welcome from Delisha Marshal. After a spoken word presentation by Tiffany Pogue, a presentation will be given on “Storytelling Honoring the Orishas.” “An Ocean in My Bones” will be presented at 2 p.m., with closing remarks at 3:05 p.m. by Bill Green, treasurer of the Clotilda Descendants Association.

‘An Ocean in My Bones’

Playwright Terrence Spivey’s original work on the voyage of the Clotilda and the experiences of its survivors began development in Mobile ahead of the 2023 Spirit of Our Ancestors Festival and a developmental version of it was presented at the fest. Development of the play has continued since then, and a newer, fuller version of the drama will be presented three times in conjunction with the festival. Public performances take place at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3-4. For information on reserving free tickets, visit theclotildastory.com. Note: As this story was published, the Saturday performance was listed as sold out, and the Sunday performance was listed as having only a few seats remaining. A performance on Monday, Feb. 5, is for students.