LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock photographer is being recognized during Black History Month for his contributions to documenting the history of the city.
Eugene Roquemore grew up in East Texas in the city of Henderson. He later served in the Army during World War II and earned four Bronze Stars. He then took photography classes at Wiley College before moving to Lubbock in the early 1950s.
Roquemore spent the next four decades photographing people and events surrounding Black culture in Lubbock.
Lubbock historian Cosby Morton said the art display at Citizens Tower gives residents a chance to see what life in Lubbock has been like over the past 40 years.
“Since you didn’t have photography like the camera to take pictures on your phone, it’s not passed down,” Morton said. “A lot of those people have passed on, they’re no longer with us, so now you understand what it was. Historically, we look back at the pictures and we see history, they tell a story, and that’s why it was important.”
Morton also said having Roquemore photograph these events meant a lot to those who attended the gatherings.
“He would work with you and he would come out,” Morton said. “To us it might not be a significant event, but it was important to the families, and I think it was important for him to get this out so people remembered this. The icons in the neighborhood, the Dr. Chapman’s, Dr. Struggs and so forth, so I think that’s why he did that.”
The dedication to Eugene Roquemore will be on display at Citizens Tower all year long.
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