African American Heritage Trail Marker Dedication for Four Historically Significant Champions

Jun 17th, 2008

The African-American Heritage Trail of Mobile will dedicate four historic markers on Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 3 p.m. at 570 Dr. Martin Luther King Avenue (corner of MLK and Tunstall Street) in recognition of four great contributors to Mobile’s African American History as follows:

· Christian Benevolent Funeral Home – the first Alabama funeral home owned and operated by an African American woman, Mrs. Pearl Johnson Madison in 1928.

· Finley’s Drug Stores – first chain of Drug Stores owned and operated by African-Americans in the State of Alabama.

· Johnson and Allen Mortuary – among the oldest (1894) African American funeral homes in Alabama. It has been continuously operated by the descendents of Clarence Allen since 1904.

· National African American Archives – only library for blacks until desegregation in the mid-1960s. Today it is a museum and African American archive of historical artifacts.

The African American Heritage Trail is an ongoing project of the Mobile Historic Development Commission to recognize significant African American historic sites in the city. Previously dedicated markers include Caldwell School/Broad Street Academy, Saint Martin de Porres Hospital, Central/Dunbar High School, Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, Stone Street Church, Union Baptist Church, and Creole Fire Station #1. When completed, the Trail will consist of 34 marker locations.