Facing the Rising Sun: The Journey of African American Homesteaders in New Mexico, Vision, Belief, and Sovereign Ownership
Holsome Family Homestead
Design and fabrication by Electric Playhouse
Facing the Rising Sun was curated by the African American Museum and Cultural Center of New Mexico in collaboration with the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts and Culture. The project and installation were produced by Electric Playhouse.
Details subject to change.
Facing the Rising Sun: The Journey of African American Homesteaders in New Mexico, Vision, Belief, and Sovereign Ownership was a high tech mobile exhibit telling the story and honoring the legacy of the first African American families to homestead New Mexico. Facing the Rising Sun was a partnership between the African American Museum & Cultural Center of New Mexico (AAMCCNM) and the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts and Culture, with design and fabrication by Electric Playhouse.
The first stop for the mobile exhibit was the Albuquerque Museum where it was on view to the public from January 22 to July 10, 2022. The exhibit examined the history of African American homesteading in our nation and state. It highlighted the history of several families homesteading in three significant areas in New Mexico – Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Vado. Family histories included in the exhibit were those of Boyer & Fuller; Collins; Holsome; Lewis-Outley-Ballou; Pettes; and Williams.
“Black history is Albuquerque’s history and it needs to be told. This exhibit shares a critical chapter in that history, a history of perseverance, ingenuity, and deep roots in New Mexico," said Albuquerque's Mayor Tim Keller. “With partnerships like this, we have to keep breaking down the ‘tri-cultural myth’ that has incorrectly simplified our history. Our history, just like our city today, is made up of diverse communities and many important stories that we are working to champion and elevate.”
“The collaboration with the City of Albuquerque shows their commitment to inclusion of the diverse histories of the state and allows for visibility of this history to the total New Mexico,” said Rita Powdrell, executive director of AAMCCNM. “The goal of this project is to showcase the history of homesteading, the history of land, people and community.
The story of African American settlement in New Mexico revolved around federal legislation that helped families through various homesteading acts beginning in 1862. Following six family histories, interactive structures allowed the visitor to physically step into the world of homesteading in New Mexico through documents that demonstrate identity.