Start Date: Sep 23, 2023
End Date: Sep 23, 2023
From: 10:00 AM
Free Event | RSVP required | Space is limited! - Join us for a tour of the neighborhoods that once made up the core of El Paso’s Black community, led by Shirley-Jean Giles and Micheal Davis. During the first half of the 20th century, the area surrounding Alameda and Piedras was home to a prosperous Black-owned commercial corridor and many individuals lived in the nearby neighborhoods of Segundo Barrio and present-day Five Points East in Central El Paso. However, as in many other cities in the United States, the interstate was planned through the middle of the neighborhood, and Texas’s construction of I-10 led to the demolition of homes and businesses that had been there for decades. Businesses were forced to close and families moved into other parts of the city or out of El Paso entirely. Join us on this tour as our guides share histories, stories, and memories of the neighborhood.
***Please note this is a walking tour. Participants should wear comfortable shoes and appropriate sun protection.***
Tour begins and ends at Estine Eastside Barbershop (106 N Piedras).
Space is limited! RSVP is required. Please call 915-212-3163 or email [email protected] to secure your space!
Are you a member? Several spots have been pre-saved especially for you! Please contact Nora Rose at [email protected] to be put on the list.
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This programming is made possible thanks to support from Chase Bank and the Stern Foundation.
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This event is part of our “Still We Rise: El Paso’s Black Experience” exhibit, which traces the history of El Paso’s African American community. The exhibit focuses on the decades leading up to and following desegregation. Tracing back to the first documented African American individuals in El Paso, this exhibition highlights generations of Afro descendants’ contributions to the region as they built businesses, homes, and neighborhoods during slavery, Jim Crow era, and beyond. Based in the testimonies and oral histories of community, “Still We Rise” aims to showcase the joy and accomplishments of those who call El Paso home.
