- the Public Library
- LibGuides
- Subject Guides - 25/50/25
- Local History
- African-American History in New Mexico
Local History
juneteenth
Juneteenth in New Mexico
- General Order No. 3The origin of Juneteenth - plus a peer-reviewed quick reference guide to #celebrationasresistance by Hakim Bellamy.
Famous Locals
Famous Locals
The Black community in New Mexico has a compelling legacy that dates back more than 500 years, starting with Estevanico, the Spanish Moor from North Africa, who came seeking gold. The famed Buffalo Soldiers, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and today’s history makers have followed in his footsteps... So while Estavanico—a k a Esteban the black—never found the fabled cities of gold that his search party came looking for back in the 1500s, the African-American culture that’s developed in New Mexico over the ensuing centuries is rich indeed.
Swear by
In his debut collection of hard-hitting poems, Albuquerque Poet Laureate Hakim Bellamy addresses the issues important to our day--politics, work, and art. Bellamy moves from a freethinking attitude of deliverance to a provocative new space where the reader can reflect on the poet's inquisition of the one percent, working-class life in urban and rural America, and the transcendent value of hip hop as one of our top exports and global contributions. Swear politicizes the human condition in a manner that balances the abstract with the concrete.
Let's Roll This Train by
This inspiring memoir chronicles Lenton Malry's journey from segregated Louisiana to a distinguished career in public service in New Mexico. Malry worked as a teacher on the Navajo Reservation, as a public school administrator in Albuquerque, and as a commissioner in Bernalillo County. He was also the first African American elected to the New Mexico state legislature and the first African American to earn a PhD in education from the University of New Mexico.
- Biography : Lewis, John [vertical file]Call Number: Library Use Only
- The Art of Henry Kennison: New Orleans to New Mexico - Art From the Heart byCall Number: Library Use Only
- No Challenge - No Change byCall Number: Library Use Only
- Family : Powdrell Family [vertical file]Call Number: Library Use Only
Ralph Bunche by
Activist, international statesman, reluctant black leader, scholar, icon, father and husband, Ralph Bunche is one of the most complicated and fascinating figures in the history of twentieth- century America. Bunche played a central role in shaping international relations from the 1940s through the 1960s, first as chief of the Africa section of the Office of Strategic Services and then as part of the State Department group working to establish the United Nations. After moving to the U.N. as Director of Trusteeship, he became the first black Nobel Laureate in 1950 and was subsequently named Undersecretary of the U.N. For nearly a decade, he was the most celebrated contemporary African American both domestically and abroad. Today he is virtually forgotten. Charles Henry's penetrating biography counters this historical tragedy, recapturing the essence of Bunche's service to America and the world. Moreover, Henry ably demonstrates how Bunche's rise and fall as a public symbol tells us as much about America as it does about Bunche. His iconic status, like that of other prominent, mainstream black figures like Colin Powell, required a constant struggle over the relative importance of his racial identity and his national identity. Henry's biography shines as both the recovered story of a classic American, and as a case study in the racial politics of public service.
Call Number: Library Use Only- Biography : Bunche, Ralph [vertical file]Call Number: Library Use Only
Helpful Websites
Continue Your Research
- Black Freedom
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- NM Black History Month
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- New Mexico Office of African American Affairs
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- African American Museum and Cultural Center of New Mexico
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- African Americans in New Mexico [UNM]
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- Africana Studies [UNM]
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- New Mexico Black Leadership Council
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- African American Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce
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- Early African American Settlements in New Mexico [New Mexico Genealogy]
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- African American History in NM [New Mexico In Focus, a Production of NMPBS]
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- African American Cultural Heritage [Visit Albuquerque]
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- NM Black
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- New Mexico's African American Legacy: Visible, Vital, Valuable
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This exhibit is no longer available to view in person, but the website has some interesting information.
History
Picture This podcast used with permission of the Albuquerque Museum.
The History of African-Americans in New Mexico
"Did you know African history in New Mexico started in the year 1539?
"In 1539, Esteban, an African Moor, was the first official representative of Spain to the Native people of New Mexico at Zuni. He was an adventurer, explorer and original member of the ill-fated Pánfilo de Narváez expedition from Cuba to explore the Florida coast in 1527."
~from "New Mexico’s Black history runs deep," by Rob Martinez, State Historian
Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers
After the Civil War from 3,300 to 3,800 African American soldiers served in the New Mexico Territory, according to Monroe Lee Billington in "New Mexico’s Buffalo Soldiers: 1866-1900." The soldiers were garrisoned at 11 different forts throughout the territory. The term "Buffalo Soldier" was given to the troops by Native Americans, and it was proudly accepted.
New Mexico's Buffalo Soldiers, 1866-1900 by
"A welcome contribution to western historiography...Based on its rich detail and fine description of a long-neglected topic, it is highly recommended reading for students of black history in general and New Mexico history in particular." ?Montana: The Magazine of Western History
- On the Trail of the Buffalo Soldier: Biographies of African Americans in the U.S. Army, 1866-1917 byCall Number: Library Use Only
- MOMENTS IN TIME | The Buffalo Soldiers in New Mexico | New Mexico PBS
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Blackdom
Blackdom & Vado
In 1896, Francis Marion Boyer and two students set out on foot from Georgia heading to New Mexico. Boyer had heard stories of the territory from his father who had been a Buffalo Soldier. Frank's family joined him later and together they formed the community of Blackdom in 1901, advertising for other African American homesteaders to join them. Located south of Roswell, Blackdom became the first African American town in New Mexico.
After crop failures and problems with their well-water, the people of Blackdom began dispersing. The Boyers moved to Vado in 1921. There they found more fertile land. Soon Francis Boyer platted his second town, Vado, also establishing a church and a school.
- Blackdom, New Mexico Homestead National Historical Park [NPS]
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- Long before King, black settlers in New Mexico had a dream
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- A History of Blackdom, N.M. in the Context of the African American Post Civil War Colonization Movement byCall Number: Library Use Only
- Blackdom [videorecording (VHS)]Call Number: Library Use Only
East End
East End Addition
Albuquerque's first African American neighborhood, the East End Addition, was platted in 1938 by Henry Outley. The addition ran from Pennsylvania St. to Wyoming Blvd., and Lomas Blvd. to Constitution Ave. Henry had a vision of creating a suburban neighborhood, but it was difficult for him, as an African American developer, to acquire the loans he needed to proceed. Instead he sold or gave away lots to other African Americans. Henry eventually deeded the East End addition to his adoptive daughter, Virginia Outley Ballou. Virginia also struggled to build up the addition. From the originally platted 24 blocks, she and contractor J.S. Jones succeeded in developing 22 homes on two blocks. In the 1950s and 1960s, these and other houses in the neighborhood were purchased by African American families. Over time the addition has become more racially mixed.
Source: City Engineer's Office Collection
- East End Addition [vertical file]Call Number: Library Use Only
Home Circle
Home Circle Club
Albuquerque's Home Circle was founded in 1914. The aim of founder Mrs. Lula Black and other members was to prepare themselves to be social leaders of the African American community. Their motto became "Intellectual, Social, and Moral Uplift." In 2014, Home Circle celebrated its 100th anniversary. A copy of the 100th Year Anniversary Booklet may be found at the Special Collections Library.
- Home Circle Club [vertical file]Call Number: Library Use Only
Churches
Historic African American Churches
Grant Chapel, African Methodist Episcopal Church
The oldest African American church in Albuquerque, Grant Chapel AME, was founded in 1882. Its first location was a rented house located at 201 1st St SW. The following year the New Mexico Township Company donated land to the AME in order to build a church. This property was located on the corner of 3rd St and Coal Avenue, and the congregation became known as the Coal Avenue Methodist Church.
In 1905, the church changed its name to Grant Chapel AME in honor of Bishop Alexander Grant. Bishop Grant was a former slave, who after the Civil War became a preacher. Grant Chapel moved again in the 1950s to 734 Arno St SE, and took with it the cornerstone from the original building erected in 1892. A final move in 1990 has Grant Chapel in its current location at 7920 Claremont Ave NE.
The church, in its very early days, served as a headquarters for African American soldiers stationed at Fort Wingate and in Santa Fe whenever they visited Albuquerque. During the Civil Rights era, the Albuquerque branch of the NAACP, the Urban League and the National Council of Negro Women all met in the church.
Source: Historical Sketch of Grant Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church by A. L. Mitchell, enclosed within Grant Chapel [vertical file]
Source: Bernalillo County Abstract and Title Company Collection
Source: 1902 Sanborn Map
Mount Olive Baptist Church
Tabytha Watson was originally a member of the AME church but in 1900 was “inspired by her heavenly father” to start prayer meetings in her home. For several years the congregation met at Mrs. Watson house at 407 Copper Ave NW. In 1903, Mrs. Watson raised $135 to purchase a property at 510 Lead Ave SW and the congregation became known as Mount Olive Baptist Church. Services were held in a house on the property until the church was completed in 1909. In 1969, the property on Lead (which had expanded to include 508 and 512) was sold to purchase a large lot at 2401 University Blvd SE. The present sanctuary was dedicated in 1977.
When the church first was formed, baptisms were performed in the Rio Grande River. In the early years, Mount Olive and Grace Chapel enjoyed many social events together. These included annual Fourth of July picnics to City parks and the mountains, transportation provided by stagecoach!
Sources:
Mount Olive Baptist Church [vertical file]
http://www.mom-bc.com/history.html
Source: 1913 Sanborn Map
resources
Library Resources
These can include books from the catalog, media, pamphlets, periodicals, and vertical files, which are collections of ephemera. Some items are library use only.
Books from the catalog
Vertical Files
- African American Settlers [vertical file]Call Number: Library Use Only
- African Americans [vertical file]Call Number: Library Use Only
Periodicals
- Statewide Focus: African Americans in New Mexico [periodical]Call Number: Library Use Only
- The Perspective : Providing a Voice for New Mexico's Black Community [periodical]Call Number: Library Use Only
- The Perspective II: Building a CommunityCall Number: Library Use Only
- The Cornish-Russwurm Chronicle: Serving New Mexico's Black Community [periodical]Call Number: Library Use Only
Books
African American History in New Mexico by
Although their total numbers in New Mexico were never large, blacks arrived with Spanish explorers and settlers and played active roles in the history of the territory and state. Here, Bruce Glasrud assembles the best information available on the themes, events, and personages of black New Mexico history. The contributors portray the blacks who accompanied Cabeza de Vaca, Coronado, and de Vargas and recount their interactions with Native Americans in colonial New Mexico. Chapters on the territorial period examine black trappers and traders as well as review the issue of slavery in the territory and the blacks who accompanied Confederate troops and fought in the Union army during the Civil War in New Mexico. Eventually blacks worked on farms and ranches, in mines, and on railroads, as well as in the military, seeking freedom and opportunity in New Mexico's wide open spaces. A number of black towns were established in rural areas. Lacking political power because they represented such a small percentage of New Mexico's population, blacks relied largely on their own resources and networks, particularly churches and schools.
The Black West by
This entirely new edition of a famous classic has glorious new photographs--many never before seen--as well as revised and expanded text that deepens our understanding of the vital role played by African American men and women on America's early frontiers. This revised volume includes an exciting new chapter on the Civil War and the experiences of African Americans on the western frontier. Among its fascinating accounts are those explaining how thousands of enslaved people in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas successfully escaped into the neighboring Indian Territory in Oklahoma. These runaways inspired the idea eventually adopted as the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves within the states that were in rebellion. Inspired by a conversation that William Loren Katz had with Langston Hughes, The Black West presents long-neglected stories of daring pioneers like Nat Love, a.k.a. Deadwood Dick; Mary Fields, a.k.a. Stagecoach Mary; Cranford Goldsby, a.k.a. Cherokee Bill--and a host of other intrepid men and women who marched into the wilderness alongside Chief Osceola, Billy the Kid, and Geronimo.
Crazy Fourth by
In 1912 boxing was as popular a spectator sport in the United States as baseball, if not more so. It was also rife with corruption and surrounded by gambling, drinking, and prostitution, so much so that many cities and states passed laws to control it. But not in New Mexico. It was the perfect venue for one of the biggest, loudest, most rambunctious heavyweight championship bouts ever seen. In Crazy Fourth Toby Smith tells the story of how the African American boxer Jack Johnson--the bombastic and larger-than-life reigning world heavyweight champion--met Jim Flynn on the Fourth of July in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The civic boosters, bursting with pride in their town, raised a hundred thousand dollars for the fight, pushing events like the sinking of the Titanic to the back pages of every newspaper. In the end, once the dust finally settled on the whole unseemly spectacle, Las Vegas would spend the next generation making good on its losses.
New Mexico Baseball by
This work traces New Mexican baseball from its beginnings in the West of Billy the Kid and Geronimo to today's modern game. Set against the background of the state's remarkable beauty and many cultures are stories of teams of miners, Native Americans, Hispanos, bomber pilots, outlawed major leaguers, prisoners, record setters and others. From the territory's earliest base ballists to today's AAA Albuquerque Isotopes, baseball has flourished on the high desert diamonds of the 47th state.
Esteban by
When Pueblo Indians say, "The first white man our people saw was a black man," they are referring to Esteban, who came to New Mexico in 1539. After centuries of negative portrayals, this book highlights Esteban's importance in America's early history. Books about the history of the American West have ignored Esteban or belittled his importance, often using his slave nickname, Estebanico. What little we know about Esteban comes from Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and other Spanish chroniclers, whose condescension toward the African slave has carried over into most history books. In this work Herrick dispels the myths and outright lies about Esteban. His biography emphasizes Esteban rather than the Spaniards whose exploits are often exaggerated and jingoistic in the sixteenth-century chronicles. He gives Esteban full credit for his courage and his skill as a linguist and cultural intermediary who was trusted and respected by Indians from many tribes across the continent.
- Bridges : New Mexican Black Women, 1900-1950 byCall Number: Library Use Only
Freedom's Racial Frontier by
Between 1940 and 2010, the black population of the American West grew from 710,400 to 7 million. With that explosive growth has come a burgeoning interest in the history of the African American West--an interest reflected in the remarkable range and depth of the works collected in Freedom's Racial Frontier. Editors Herbert G. Ruffin II and Dwayne A. Mack have gathered established and emerging scholars in the field to create an anthology that links past, current, and future generations of African American West scholarship. The volume's sixteen chapters address the African American experience within the framework of the West as a multicultural frontier. The result is a fresh perspective on western-U.S. history, centered on the significance of African American life, culture, and social justice in almost every trans-Mississippi state. Examining and interpreting the twentieth century while mindful of events and developments since 2000, the contributors focus on community formation, cultural diversity, civil rights and black empowerment, and artistic creativity and identity. Reflecting the dynamic evolution of new approaches and new sites of knowledge in the field of western history, the authors consider its interconnections with fields such as cultural studies, literature, and sociology. Some essays deal with familiar places, while others look at understudied sites such as Albuquerque, Oahu, and Las Vegas, Nevada. By examining black suburbanization, the Information Age, and gentrification in the urban West, several authors conceive of a Third Great Migration of African Americans to and within the West. The West revealed in Freedom's Racial Frontier is a place where black Americans have fought--and continue to fight--to make their idea of freedom live up to their expectations of equality; a place where freedom is still a frontier for most persons of African heritage.
Call Number: Library Use Only- Reflections on African-American Heritage byCall Number: Library Use Only
- Black Cinema & Digital Media DirectoryCall Number: Library Use Only
African Americans on the Western Frontier by
This book is designed to remedy the historic neglect of the significant contribution made by African-Americans to the settlement and development of the West. The African-American western experience during the frontier era (1850-1912) is a story that is rich and diverse. The fifteen authors in this volume highlight many of the contributions African-American men and women made to the western frontier -- as miners, homesteaders, town builders, entrepreneurs, and ordinary, civic-minded citizens.
Call Number: Library Use Only- Black History Facts & Information byCall Number: Library Use Only
- The Negro Motorist Green-Book [1936] byCall Number: Library Use Only
- The Negro Travelers' Green Book: The Guide to Travel and Vacations [1954]Call Number: Library Use Only
Media
- Black Experience in New Mexico, 1974-1980 [videorecording (DVD)]Call Number: Library Use Only
- Do Remember Me: Conversations with New Mexico's Black History [cassettes] byCall Number: Library Use Only
- Do Remember Me 2: Black Seniors of Albuquerque & Western New Mexico [cassettes] byCall Number: Library Use Only
