Buxton, A Black Utopia in Iowa?

Buxton was a small, unincorporated coal mining town bordering Mahaska and Monroe counties, was unusual for the 1900s in that African American and white residents lived and worked equally, side by side. With as many as 10,000 residents, it was the largest town in America where African-Americans were in the majority.   Author Rachelle Chase listened to interviews of over 60 Buxton residents, combed through archives and documents to write her book, “Creating the Black Utopia of Buxton, Iowa.” Ms. Chase will share the stories she discovered and what the legacy of Buxton is today.   

Copies of Ms. Chase's book will be available for purchase after this program.