Las Vegas Raiders staff and alumni packed onto a bus last week for a special Black History Month "field trip" to the Historic Westside community. And just like the best school trips from back in the day, there was a lot knowledge to go around for the Silver and Black.
The Historic Westside showcases the rich history of a collective of African Americans who helped build up the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World. In the days of segregation within Southern Nevada and the Las Vegas Strip, the Westside was a place of refuge for the Black community.
A place they weren't barred from living, gambling and performing. A place many sought to relocate to in order to escape the Jim Crow restrictions of the Deep South in the 1940s.
The Historic Westside was also the birthplace of The Moulin Rouge Hotel, the first integrated hotel-casino in the United States. While the luxurious hotel was only open for six months, its impact in forcing the Strip to integrate was invaluable.
As the Raiders toured the community to learn about it's history, the plan to continue enriching the community was also visible.
The Obodo Collective, 1300 C St, Las Vegas, NV 89106
The first stop on the tour was the The Obodo Collective, a nonprofit urban farm that helps supplies fresh fruits and vegetables in efforts to end food insecurity.
The word "obodo" means "city" and "community" in Igbo, with the Igbo tribe being one of the largest in Western Nigeria. The garden consists of leafy greens, onions, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, garlic and turmeric.
Not only does the farm help provide fresh, low-cost food for the impoverished, it also has several educational programs for local youth to learn how to grow their own food.
Historic Westside School, 330 W Washington Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89106
It was easy to soak in all of the history within the next stop at the Historic Westside School.
The oldest remaining school in the city of Las Vegas, it was built in 1923 as a two-room schoolhouse. An additional two rooms were added in 1928 and a second building in 1948. The school was closed in 1967 as desegregation came to a fortunate halt.
The schoolhouse still has the original tiling, window paneling and mahogany flooring from its inception. The building now serves as a workforce for several nonprofits including the Economic Opportunity Board for Clark County.
"It's a strong, local, vibrant community that have been born and raised here," said Hallema Bailey-West, senior workforce development specialist at the Historic Westside School. "Everybody that I went to high school with, the majority of them were natives of Las Vegas and their children now are natives of Las Vegas. I believe a lot of us are three generation. ... I just want anybody to know that Las Vegas has some vibrate natives here that do a wonderful job and have contributed to the landscape of this place."
Across the street from the Historic Westside School is the newly-built Historic Westside Education and Training Center. The $16.4 million, 15,000 square-foot space, operated by the College of Southern Nevada, provides credentialed job training programs in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, technology and construction trades to students.
Historic Westside Legacy Park, 1600 Mt Mariah Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89106
Legacy Park opened in December 2021, with the purpose of paying homage to the community at large. The park features plaques honoring leaders in the Historic Westside community, with new honorees added each year.
The legacy of the Raiders coincides with the park, as one of the honorees is none other than alumni Frank Hawkins. The running back, who won Super Bowl XVIII with the Los Angeles Raiders, is a Las Vegas native who attended Western High School and the University of Nevada-Reno.
After his playing career, he became the first elected Black official in the city of Las Vegas and started a company that builds affordable houses through Federal Housing and Urban Development grants in low-income areas.
"It was just awesome [to see] because I know how much Frank has meant to this community and all the things that he's done," said Napoleon McCallum, who was Hawkins' teammate and attended the Historic Westside Tour. "We [are] able to show everybody that we got a person who was a Raider who was doing a lot of things in this community."
West Las Vegas Library, 1861 North Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89106
The last stop on the tour served as symbolism for what the future generation of the Historic Westside can accomplish, especially with the proper resources.
The brand new, state of the art West Las Vegas library opened in December 2025. After having two previous undersized libraries within Westside, this is a tremendous facelift that the local community will benefit from.
Within the 40,000 square-foot space, the library has dozens of computers, a digital transfer center, a video and audio podcast studio, a recording studio, multiple conference and event spaces – and yes of course, thousands of books to check out.
The library opened as part of The HUNDRED (Historic Urban Neighborhood Design Redevelopment) Plan, which was developed in 2016 as a community-led investment in restoring the Historic Westside. Along with the construction of the new library, Historic Westside School renovations and building the Education and Training Center were included.
"Now we have a library that not only can service this community, but every community here in Southern Nevada," said Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.
As the "field trip" wrapped up, many Raiders staff members and alumni walked away with a deeper appreciation for the Las Vegas community they've called home for more than six years. For alumni like Roy Hart, the experience was especially meaningful — a reminder of the real, ongoing progress being driven by and for African Americans across Southern Nevada.
"I moved to Las Vegas in 1994, I know a lot about the history of this city but getting it the way I got it today was priceless," Hart said. "An incredible job was done over the whole tour. What can you say when you're receiving knowledge as vital as we did today about the city you live in, and how it came about, and how the African American community helped it come about."
In honor of Black History Month, the Raiders employee resource group B.A.S.E.D. in Sports partnered with MGM Grand's employee resource group to explore businesses and historical black locations on the west side of Las Vegas.
Attendees depart from Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters for the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees depart from Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters for the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees depart from Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters for the Historic Westside Tour.
A map of the tour for the attendees as they depart from Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters for the Historic Westside Tour.
Former founding director of UNLV's Oral History Research Center and American historian Claytee White speaks to attendees during the Historic Westside Tour.
Executive director of the Obodo Collective Tameka Henry gives a tour of the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Executive director of the Obodo Collective Tameka Henry gives a tour of the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Executive director of the Obodo Collective Tameka Henry gives a tour of the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Signage in the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Executive director of the Obodo Collective Tameka Henry gives a tour of the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees pose for a photo at the Obodo Community Gardens during the Historic Westside Tour.
Historic Westside School senior workforce development specialist Hallema Bailey-West gives a tour of the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
An attendee during a tour of the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees pose for a photo in front of the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Signage on the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Historic Westside School senior workforce development specialist Hallema Bailey-West speaks to attendees as they tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Tech Impact workforce programs manager Amy Starling speaks to attendees as they tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
City of Las Vegas department of youth development and social initiatives management analyst Marcus Sherfield speaks to attendees as they tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Historic Westside School senior workforce development specialist Hallema Bailey-West speaks to attendees as they tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees pose for a photo during a tour of the Historic Westside School during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the Historic Westside Education and Training Center during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour Legacy Park during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour Legacy Park during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees pose for a photo at Legacy Park during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees pose for a photo at Legacy Park during the Historic Westside Tour.
Former founding director of UNLV's Oral History Research Center and American historian Claytee White guides attendees through Legacy Park during the Historic Westside Tour.
Former founding director of UNLV's Oral History Research Center and American historian Claytee White guides attendees through Legacy Park during the Historic Westside Tour.
Former founding director of UNLV's Oral History Research Center and American historian Claytee White guides attendees through Legacy Park during the Historic Westside Tour.
Signage in Legacy Park during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
Former founding director of UNLV's Oral History Research Center and American historian Claytee White guides attendees through the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
Executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Kelvin Watson speaks to attendees as they tour the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
West Las Vegas Library Performing Arts Center coordinator Luciana Hudson speaks to attendees as they tour the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
West Las Vegas Library Performing Arts Center coordinator Luciana Hudson speaks to attendees as they tour the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
West Las Vegas Library Performing Arts Center coordinator Luciana Hudson speaks to attendees as they tour the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
Attendees tour the West Las Vegas Library during the Historic Westside Tour.
B.A.S.E.D. in Sports President Aomori Allen speaks to attendees during the Historic Westside Tour at the West Las Vegas Library.
Attendees enjoy a meal during the Historic Westside Tour at the West Las Vegas Library.
Attendees enjoy a meal during the Historic Westside Tour at the West Las Vegas Library.
Attendees pose for a photo during the Historic Westside Tour at the West Las Vegas Library.
Attendees pose for a photo during the Historic Westside Tour at the West Las Vegas Library.
Former founding director of UNLV's Oral History Research Center and American historian Claytee White speaks to attendees during the Historic Westside Tour at the West Las Vegas Library.
Former founding director of UNLV's Oral History Research Center and American historian Claytee White speaks to attendees during the Historic Westside Tour at the West Las Vegas Library.
