3 Questions

During the Jim Crow era, African American tourists experiences a different Route 66 than that reflected in popular culture. On Wednesday at the NM History Museum, Frank Norris, historian for the National Park Services leads a talk titled "Black Pioneers on Route 66."

What was the black Route 66 experience like during the Jim Crow era?
Many people know that black motorists were treated badly in the South, and recent articles have also explained where blacks were able to stay in the Northern cities. But not much is known about how blacks were treated out West, where blacks were few and racial attitudes were supposedly more liberal. Were black motorists treated better in New Mexico and Arizona than elsewhere? Not really. Both newspaper articles and the recollections of longtime residents suggest that most hotels and restaurants in the mountain West discriminated against black travelers.

Who are some of the figures from that time that history has forgotten?
Some heroes to travelers were black motel owners, such as Nolan Jones from Tucumcari and John and Evelyn Simms who ran the Casa Linda Motel in Gallup. Other heroes, few in number, are white motel owners who stand out because they invited black travelers to stay at their facilities.

What has been your experience in discussing this topic before?
Black audience members want the story to be told—and white audience members are curious and want to hear more about a little-known but important story.

Santa Fe Reporter