Blackdom, New Mexico

In the midst of raging anti-Black violence, Blackdom served as a refuge for Black people, an oasis in a stark sea of oppression where unemployment could mean prison time, where merely existing in space unabated by the white gaze could have deadly consequences. A mythological figure, a homesteader (and pastor and freemason) named Francis Marion Boyer created Blackdom circa 1908 while evading threats from the Klan. The town remained small, but its population hosted an array of colorful people, who, according to postal ledgers, sent money back to their families in other states. What wonders would have persisted if true aid and solidarity was formed to help this town thrive?