Blackdom, an African American settlement in southern Chaves County incorporated in 1903, didn’t survive severe drought and the Great Depression, but it is still remembered with pride by descendants who still live in the area, as well as others who are simply interested in history.
On Friday, a presentation titled “Black History Perspectives” at the Roswell Public Library, coordinated by Anna Madden and emceed by James Edwards, provided a glimpse into the history of the homesteader community.
Several posters produced by Madden, who is a descendant of Blackdom’s original settlers, were available for viewing at the event, which attracted around 30 people.
Blackdom was incorporated in 1903, according to a National Park Service website, and notable families included the Boyers, Collins, Eubanks, Herrons, Proffits, Smiths and Wilsons. At one time, the population was estimated to be about 150 people.
Blackdom’s post office closed in 1920, and the community was mostly deserted by 1930. Several families, including the Boyers, resettled in the Mesilla Valley and founded the community of Vado.
Harun Williams, an adjunct instructor of adult education at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, gave a keynote speech emphasizing the need to be “open-minded and open-hearted” in dealing with racial issues.
Originally from Manhattan, New York City, Williams said he mostly grew up in a predominantly white, suburban neighborhood in El Paso.
“I learned that racism comes in all shapes and sizes,” he said.
Williams, who described himself as “a history buff,” said he was aware of Black settlements in New Mexico, such as Vado, between El Paso and Las Cruces, but never knew about Blackdom until he and some members of his family stopped to view the historic marker about the community along U.S. 185, south of Roswell.
“I saw the marker, and I wondered what happened,”…
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