List of upcoming and prior events. Prior events have links to videos and/or audio files.
Dr. Nelson’s audiobook has been released on various platform for your convenience.
Featuring Dr. Timothy E. Nelson, Dr. Kalenda Eaton—University of Oklahoma, Dr. Jeanette Jones—University of Lincoln-Nebraska, and Loneise E. Thomas, Ph. D. Candidate—University of Oklahoma.
(The Description, exact date, and time for this roundtable will be updated soon.)
Lecture and Q&A with Dr. Nelson
The Significance of the Afro-Frontier: Blackdom, New Mexico (1900-1930)
Black History Month 2025 Author Lecture and Book Signing
The Afro-Frontier: Blackdom, Borderlands, and African Diaspora in the Digital Age
@bike.poc annual "Pass the Mic” panel discussion on equity, history, movement, and how we can co-create and imagine our futures together. Our panelists, historian, author Dr. Timothy E. Nelson, pro cyclist Ayesha McGowan, entrepreneur, investor, and consultant Emma Willis are leading incredible change in their communities. Together, we'll explore the power of community, creativity, and collaboration to build a more inclusive and equitable world for all.
Thanks to @visitbentonville for helping support BAM Week and @themomentary for being such generous hosts!
The Branigan Cultural Center will focus on the holiday of Juneteenth with Historian Dr. Timothy E. Nelson as a part of our "Pull Up A Chair" speaker series June 20, 2024 - Noon to 1 pm being held at the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, Roadrunner Room.
June 21, 2024, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Las Cruces Downtown Plazan - Dr. Nelson will be selling and autographing books at the Juneteenth Jazz Arts Festival.
Come join us as we honor the rich deep history of black Americans and celebrate the present-day culture of all African diasporas and African descendants. We will have conversations about where we come from, where we are, and where we're going.
10:00am -12:00pm What Happened to Blackdom? Presented by Historian Dr. Timothy E. Nelson (inside)
You can register on their website Southern Soul Thursdays Registration
Or register on eventbrite to contribute a small fee Community Sovereignty - Youth, Freemasons, and Ministers
Saturday, March 2, 2024 - Southside Library, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Saturday, March 9, 2024 - *LaFarge Library, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm (February 10, 2024 - La Farge Reschedule)
Saturday, February 24, 2024 - Main Library, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Bookworks － Local. Independent.
4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107 || 505-344-8139 || Open Daily 10am-6pm
Thursday, February 8, 2024 - 6:00pm
We are so excited to welcome Dr. Timothy E. Nelson for a reading and signing of his book, Blackdom, New Mexico: The Significance of the Afro-Frontier, 1900-1930.
Russell Contreras interviews Dr. Timothy E. Nelson about his first Academic book Blackdom, NM: The Significance of the Afro-Frontier published by Texas Tech University Press July 2023.
Founded at the turn of the 20th century, Blackdom was an incorporated town in southern New Mexico formed by Black settlers.
Reoriented to Mexico’s “northern frontier,” one observes Black ministers, Black military personnel, and Black freemasons who colonized as part of the transmogrification of Indigenous spaces into the American West. Nelson’s concept of the Afro-Frontier evokes a “Turnerian West,” but it is also fruitfully understood as a Weberian “Borderland.” Its history highlights a brief period and space that nurtured Black cowboy culture. While Blackdom’s civic presence was not lengthy, its significance—and that of the Afro-Frontier—is an important window in the history of Afrotopias, Black Consciousness, and the notion of an American West.
Founded in 1931, Carlsbad Museum fulfills its mission as a cultural and educational institution through the collection, preservation, exhibition and interpretation of artifacts, documents and works of art relating to prehistory of the City of Carlsbad, the surrounding communities of southeastern New Mexico and the greater American Southwest. (575) 887 - 0276
NEW FRONTIERS IN BLACK PLACEMAKING: Afrotopias of the West
PANEL WITH DR. ASHLEY ADAMS, DENISE KADARA, DR. TIMOTHY E. NELSON, AND LA BARBARA JAMES WIGFALL; MODERATED BY DR. ANDREA ROBERTS
Part of the 2023 Sara Shallenberger Brown Cultural Landscapes and Sites Symposium
Thu, Sep 21, 7:30 to 9:00pm, Jacksonville Hyatt Riverfront Hotel, Conference Center A-Thursday Author's Book Signing 3rd Floor
Session Submission Type: Roundtable (10 am - 11:30 am EST - 8 am - 9:30 am MST)
“The significance of being Black; WAS, and IS the intrinsic value one carries/d inside of the so-called ‘Black’ body.” Organized and funded by hegemonic society, too often, Black Revolution has been reduced to nostalgia detached from true intentionality. In the latest colonial project and cycle of perpetual genocides against “Black” Peoples, this panel is an effort to encourage exploration of the full spectrum of Black Consciousness as well as Black History to continue efforts to seek consciousness, community and sovereignty.
Tony Parisi, Joel Nakamura, Stacey Sullivan De Maldonado, Joerael Numina, Pop Lazarus, Dr. Timothey E. Nelson, Sammy Arriaga, Rae Isla, Nessy the Rilla, Emma Miller, Robbie Firestone, Alexander McCaig, Christian Lemp, JenJoy Roybal and special guests David Berkeley and Tiago Arrias of Monsoon Season
Thursday, Sep 14, 2023, 6pm at Marlene Nathan Meyerson Auditorium
Join us for Dr. Nelson’s book launch – Blackdom, New Mexico: The Significance of the Afro-Frontier (1900-1930). Historian Timothy E. Nelson and Matthew Contos, Director of Creativity & Learning will explore the notions of Afrotopia; Q&A and book-signing to follow.
Engage the concept of Afro-Frontierism: people of African descent reclaiming their own history and culture, and creating a new narrative that is based on their own experiences and perspectives.
Written by Timothy E. Nelson | Produced by Marissa Roybal
Script Edit Collaboration - Danielle Reddick, Loveless Johnson and Marissa Roybal
Historical Dramedy READING: Engage the folks of Blackdom, intermittent history lessons from Historian Timothy E. Nelson; with a Q&A to follow.
Suggested Donation: $10 per person
The New Mexico History Conference, signature event of the Historical Society of New Mexico, has taken place in locations all over New Mexico since the 1970s. For the very first time, the 2023 conference will be held in unique, friendly Silver City, the heart of an area rich in history and culture. Home to Western New Mexico University, Silver City boasts multiple historic neighborhoods, two museums, a thriving downtown, and a vibrant arts community. What Really Happened to Blackdom? [YouTube Link]
Join us in honor of Black History Month as we welcome historian Dr. Timothy E. Nelson to the Maxwell Museum for a special talk about Blackdom, New Mexico. Moreover, see two new and original artpieces on display by folk artist Karen Collins: Blackdom & George McJunkin. After the talk in the Hibben Center, a reception will follow inside the Museum's center gallery, where the conversation will continue informally.
Author's Book Talk Events
AUTHOR'S BOOK TALK EVENTS WILL AIR ON ASALH TV
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM MST | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM EST
Join Dr. Nelson for his Book Presentation on YouTube and engage him on a LIVE Audience Chat
Keynote Speaker Abstract:
Narratives about “frontier” spaces reflect peoples’ entrepreneurship, opportunism, and grit. However, Black Peoples in the same spaces appear feckless side notes to the historical trajectory of history. For example, Blackdom on Wikipedia and in New Mexico’s K-12 Social Studies books project the violent perpetual racialization of Native and Indigenous Peoples; with, purported insignificance of “Black” people in the popular tri-cultural narrative.
The current narratives about Black people migrating from the South to America’s western frontier at the turn of the Twentieth Century fundamentally fails to capture the dynamism. Exoduster is a pervasive term that characterizes the motivations of Black migration narratives in the post-bellum and post-Reconstruction eras as a fear of White people and their violence. The “exodus” captured the idea that Black people migrated to escape the horrors of racist subjugation and violence indicative of Southern politics and culture.
By extension, stories of All-Black (incorporated) Towns describe a promised land—one ordained by God and predetermined for the “refugees.” Scholarly narratives imply Black inferiority or lack control over their fate. As part of this keynote address, The Afro-Frontier Thesis authorizes alternative narratives that quarantine notions, and the effects of White Supremacy to undergird the historical agency of people under the conditions of American Blackness within Mexico’s Northern Frontier.
Descendants will be in attendance.
[Contact us if you would like to know about future meetings.]
Wednesday | February 16th, 2022 | 4:30 p.m. MST
“Our highest attended adult program with 197 participants.” ~Santa Fe Public Library February 2022 Report
Passionate about the significance of the Afro-Frontier in American history, Dr. Timothy E. Nelson uncovers the forgotten history of New Mexico’s Blackdom. PBS - Dr. Timothy E. Nelson Aired: 02/15/20
Rating: NR
Join the virtual conversation with descendants, leaders, advocates, elected officials, and more during the Black Towns Roundtable.
In places all around America, Mexico, and Canada people of African descent created autonomous communities that were self-sustaining and free from racial terror. These black towns and settlements were a symbol of freedom, resilience, and courage. While many black towns and settlements have disappeared, there are still some that still exist. Join the virtual conversation with descendants, leaders, advocates, elected officials, and more during the Black Towns Roundtable.
