“Wakanda In Philly”: Acana’s Multi-Million Dollar Project Aims To Unify The Black Community In Philadelphia

By next summer, the Southwest region of Philadelphia known as “Little Africa” is scheduled to look a whole lot different. Why? Major investment.

Similar to Philly’s Chinatown, significant efforts are underway to establish Africatown as the next ‘It’ tourist destination—offering an immersive, authentic experience of the African diaspora.

“The Philadelphia International Airport is 10 minutes away… but when people come from the airport they pass this area,” said Kou Dolo, Communications Director at ACANA. “We want people to have a reason to stop here.”

Redevelopment plans are unfolding across the City of Philadelphia. Normally the term “redevelopment” is used to guise the happenings of gentrification— but not in the case of Africatown. Dolo says the project includes beautification but does not promote displacement.

Starting in the 90s, West African immigrants began settling in the Southwest Philly region. The organic migration soon blossomed from occupation to ownership, into commerce, and now a vibrant diversity of Black culture inhabits commercial corridors, like Woodland Avenue. The only thing the area was missing was intentional investment. But now it's here.

The African Cultural Alliance of North America (ACANA) is leading development plans for Africatown. Community leaders rebranded the Southwest blocks spanning from 47th street and Baltimore Avenue to 74th street and Lindbergh Boulevard as Africatown in 2022. The CEO, Voffee Jabateh, credits its partners and local officials for bringing the organization’s vision to life.

“Every one of them has brought money to the table,” said Jabateh.

A portion of the project’s funding comes from the state. The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) supplied ACANA with a $9 million grant. Other local sponsors include; Temple, Drexel, The University of Pennsylvania, Saint Joseph’s University, PhilaPort, PhiladelphiaHousing Authority (PHA) and others.

Construction on the $23 million Africa Center has started on the corner of 55th and Chester Avenue. The Center will serve as the central hub of Africatown. The Africa Center blueprint outlines spaces for retail, offices, a daycare, a restaurant, a clinic and a community center. The ACANA headquarters will also relocate to this building.

There are plans to unveil the multi-purpose facility next summer, on July 4th, 2026, as part of the celebration of the United States’ 250th Anniversary of Independence. Dolo reveals that there are talks of one day expanding the Africa Center to include residential developments.

When asked about the long-term vision for Africatown, Jabateh responded, “Have you ever seen Wakanda?”

The Vision

According to Jabateh, Africatown is more than just a building. He calls it a destination point. But it is arguable that the vision goes beyond that.

A mural with orange, red and brown hues is painted on a property right across the street from ACANA’s current headquarters. The artwork depicts an elder cupping the face of a child.

According to Mural Arts, the mural entitled, ‘The Mother’, “lifts up commonality between the histories of longtime African American residents in the Southwest neighborhood and new immigrants to the area predominantly from West Africa.” The piece offers the message of peace in oneness — the ACANA team is building Africatown in that same spirit.

“This is Black pride. Simple as that,” said Jabateh, referring to Africatown. “To think that one group is better than the other is not the true concept of our history.”

Jabateh is pointing to the ongoing conflict between African immigrants and African Americans. The ACANA organization was founded in 1999 when tensions between the two communities were at an all-time high, especially in Southwest Philly.

In 2008, National Public Radio (NPR) produced a story on the violence occurring inside of Tilden Middle School amongst African and African American classmates. ACANA then, and now, seeks to bridge this gap, according to Jabateh.

ACANA’s founding is rooted in West African culture and music— the organization was initially envisioned as a music startup, but then grew into a community-centered non-profit to meet neighborhood needs. Although West African customs deeply influence Africatown, Jabateh explains that his intention is to infuse the identities of all Black people into the landscape.

“In Chinatown there is a variety of ethnicities but no one emphasizes that, but when it comes to Africa they want to emphasize our differences, which is the imperialism of the West,” said Jabateh.

At first, the ACANA team received pushback from residents on redevelopment plans. But after much community conversation, the organization claims support is now overwhelmingly positive.

Africatown Today

The neighborhood seems supportive. Irene Montalvo, an Oteri’s Italian Bakery employee, says she enjoys being a part of the new attraction. “I love to work with diversity. This is a good thing for the community,” said Montalvo.

Although redevelopment processes are in early days, Africatown is currently accessible to all. Africatown offers a walking food tour. The tour costs $56 and includes four different cuisines; West African, Jamaican, Southern American, and Italian. Interested parties can book online to participate. Two other tours— a cultural tour and a mural tour— are scheduled to launch this upcoming Fall.