You probably know that February is Black History Month, but how well do you know the history of Black Americans in New Mexico? In fact, Black history in New Mexico begins around 1050 A.D., a surprisingly early date to many people. To learn why, keep reading below—and find out the true history of Black Americans in New Mexico.

Beginnings—About 1050 A.D.

University of New Mexico Professor Emeritus Dr. Cortex Williams said that a 1975 archeological dig in Chaco Canyon produced the skeletal remains of an individual who lived around 1050 A.D. Later, DNA testing indicated that the individual was from Guyana, West Africa, and was a member of the Mimbres Tribes.

Most history classes teach that African history in America began with slavery, but the remains in Chaco Canyon are one of several African skeletons found in the Americas to predate the arrival of Christopher Columbus. In fact, Columbus wrote in his journal that “black-skinned” people were actively trading in America when he arrived.

Estevanico—A Moroccan Slave in New Mexico

Estevanico was a Black slave who was born in Azamor, Morocco and brought to America by a Spanish nobleman in 1527. He was among 300 men who helped establish a colony in Florida, but in the end, he and only four others survived living in the colony. After the colony’s collapse, Estevanico traveled throughout the Southwest and South America before arriving in New Mexico in 1539.

He traveled to New Mexico as a guide to Friar Marcos de Niza in a quest to find the fabled Seven Cities of Gold, which were said to be overflowing with riches. As Estevanico traveled ahead of his group to the Zuni village of Hawikuh, the Zuni reportedly killed him. While there are several theories, the exact reason for Estevanico’s death remains a mystery.

Growth & Upward Mobility in the 17^th & 18^th Centuries

According to Professor Quintard Taylor, Ph.D., of the University of Oregon, Black and mixed race populations grew in New Mexico from 750 people in 1630 to 2,900 in 1680. Many settled in New Mexico to escape racial discrimination in Mexico. There was some economic and social mobility available to Black Americans in New Mexico during this time. For example, Sebastian Rodriguez Brito was an Angolan freeborn son of African slaves who rose from servant to landholder, eventually marrying a widow in Espanola named Isabel Olguin.

The Civil War & Buffalo Soldiers

Fewer Black Americans entered the state from 1821-1848, and during this time, those who did were usually trappers or fur traders. Some were free, while others were slaves. Slavery never flourished in New Mexico because of other sources of labor like Mexican Americans and Indian slaves, according to Taylor.

In 1866, after the Civil War, eight Black companies of the 125^th Infantry marched to New Mexico and served at seven Army forts throughout the territory. Many of these were in southern New Mexico. Myths abound about “Buffalo Soldiers,” why these troops were given the name, and by whom.

Buffalo Soldiers’ primary duties during the post-Civil War era were to protect isolated settlements and establish towns throughout the Southwest. Buffalo Soldiers established mail and stage routes across the West and maintained law and order throughout the Southwest region. They guarded important mountain passes, water holes and isolated settlements.

20^th Century & Blackdom, NM

As Jim Crow laws affected the rest of the nation, a man named Francis Marion Boyer founded a town called Blackdom, NM to escape discrimination. Located about 20 miles south of Roswell, the town of Blackdom, NM, had a thriving population of about 300 Black Americans by 1908. It was the first community of Black Americans in the state.

 “Here the black man has an equal chance with the white man. Here, you are reckoned at the value which you place upon yourself. Your future is in your hands,” Lucy Henderson, a resident of Blackdom, wrote to the editor of The Chicago Defender in 1912.

The population in Blackdom, NM, rapidly depopulated in the 1920’s due to crop failures and other catastrophes.

Discrimination in New Mexico

Unfortunately, Black Americans have faced discrimination in New Mexico, too. In 1907, Black students were excluded from Albuquerque High School’s graduation, receiving their diplomas in a separate ceremony. In 1926, Dona Ana County Schools were segregated.

Clara Belle Williams was the first black graduate of New Mexico State University. She, too, was not permitted to graduate with her class. Many of her professors would not allow her to sit inside of the classroom, forcing her to take notes from the hallway instead. Williams later became a teacher, educating black children by day and their parents (former slaves) by night. After her death in 1994—she lived to be 108!—NMSU named the English Department after her.

Today, the New Mexico’s Black population remains small, comprising about 3 percent of the people living here. In Albuquerque, the Black American community is comprised of about 19,000 people, and in Santa Fe, about 700.

Notable African Americans in New Mexico

• Frank and Ella Boyer, Founders of Blackdom, NM. PBS has a video on Blackdom at the link.
• In 1921, UNM finally allowed open admission to all qualified students. Nine years later, Romero Lewis, son of a local physician, became the first Black medical graduate of UNM.
• Using a Portland, Oregon, anti-discrimination ordinance as a model, Herbert Wright, the first Black UNM student body president, and George Long, then a UNM law student, worked for two years to write the Albuquerque Civil Rights Ordinance that prohibited discrimination in places of public accommodations, enacted by the city commission on Lincoln’s birthday in 1952. The students had formed a coalition with off-campus organizations including the NAACP, the Ministerial Alliance, and the G. I. Forum, labor unions, and the Catholic Archdiocese to enact the first civil rights ordinance in the intermountain west.
• In celebration of the life and legacy of New Mexico’s own Tuskegee Airmen, James Flowers (Las Cruces), Dr. James Williams (Las Cruces), and John Allen (Rio Rancho) and the host of other Tuskegee Airmen who overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II, paving the way for full integration of the U.S. military, the Office of African American Affairs, renowned artist Ben Hazard, Mayor Richard Berry and many contributors (listed below) joined together to erect a monument at the New Mexico Veteran’s Memorial in Albuquerque, NM. The monument is a lasting symbol and reminder of the sacrifices the airmen made, placing their lives on the line
• New Mexico State Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton was instrumental in the passage of House Bill 909 that established the State Office of African American Affairs in 1999. Sylvester “Butch” Brown was appointed the first Executive Director by Governor Gary Johnson. The current Executive director is Dr. Harold Bailey. Today, New Mexico is the home of the only state-funded Office of African American Affairs in the nation.

Do you know about any important organizations for African Americans in New Mexico? Let us know in the comments!