Thanks Miles,

Eugene and Ruth Lasartamay were pretty heavy activists in their day. There's a photo of the couple that can be accessed at http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/AAMLO/Lasartemay.htm.
Apparently along with being part of the spear-head for the preservation of Allensworth, Eugene was an author who wrote about Jack London's relationship with ex-slave Virginia Prentiss in California. I've also been admiring some of his photos of Hawaii which are being sold by Antiqbook.com http://www.antiqbook.com/boox/witt/59-1040.shtml
Although Eugene and Ruth's timeframes are more modern, it still gives some weight to my premise that the Black West had unique African descent elements that made a culture different from those Black cultures that arose from the Colonial northern and southern U.S. I'll try to find more of the Lasatarmay history. Allensworth sources might be a good place to search.
Allen