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As we reach the halfway point of Black History Month, it’s important to remember that the learning, inspiration, and sharing of Black history and culture should continue THROUGHOUT THE YEAR!


Every day offers an opportunity to honor the achievements and contributions of African American/ Black individuals, to reflect on the struggles they’ve overcome, and to promote a future of equity and understanding.


Let’s carry the spirit of Black History Month with us throughout the year, keeping the conversation alive and the lessons learned close to heart.


Speaking of the heart… Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m delighted that Black History Month being in February coincides with a day dedicated to love, honor, and respect. It’s a beautiful reminder to celebrate not just the history and achievements of African Americans/Black individuals, but also the power of love and unity in our communities.

Arizona Giving Day

Together, we can honor the past and shape a brighter future.

Donate today and be part of the movement:


Our goal is $10,000!


Thank you for your support!



Donate Now

Giving Day begins on February 13 at 12:00 pm MST and ends on Friday, February 14 at noon!

We invite you to support the African American Museum of Southern Arizona (AAMSAZ) and help us continue our mission of preserving, sharing, and celebrating the rich history and culture of the African American community in the Southwest.


Your contribution will directly support our educational programs, exhibitions, and community outreach efforts, allowing us to inspire and engage future generations.


Every gift, big or small, makes a difference in advancing our work and creating lasting change.

Join us in making history come alive—today and every day.

Calendar

University of Arizona Black Alumni Invites you to their

BHM (Black History Month) 2025 Celebration By attending the...

February 19th

at McKale Center



Join us for Special BHM Celebration as we watch the UA Wildcats vs. BYU


A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the UA Black Alumni Scholarship Fund!

Arizona Women’s Basketball Game


We will host a Pre-Game Reception of

Soul Food by Cookin’ with Cort!

In the Jim Click Hall of Champions


4:00 PM to 6:00 PM


Tickets are $15 and include

game admission and the reception.

Buy Tickets Now

It’s that Time – Join the Black Alumni community today!


Simply fill out the Membership Form and submit it.


We will be in touch regarding our great activities, fundraisers, and dedicated support for our students.

Membership Form

UA Black Alumni (UABA)Club


If you haven’t signed up yet, now is the perfect time to get involved. As a member, you’ll receive exclusive invites to meetings and alumni events, and opportunities to serve on UABA committees.


Stay connected with us through Facebook (University of Arizona Black Alumni), Instagram

@uabatucaz, or reach out via email at: UArizonaBlackAlumni@gmail.com


We look forward to welcoming you to the UABA family!


Tanisha Price-Johnson, President Keyshia Conner, Vice President Arietha Reed, Treasurer, Tina Johnson, Board Member Terry Robinson, Board Member

© Forbes

Andre` will become the seventh player in Warriors history to have his number retired, joining the NBA legends Rick Barry (24), Wilt Chamberlain (13), Nate Thurmond (42), Al Attles (16), Chris Mullin (17), and Tom Meschery (14). Impressive!

We are so Proud of Andre`


Former University of Arizona standout and retired Golden State Warrior Andre Iguodala will have his No. 9 jersey raised to the rafters following a home game against Dallas on February 23rd! Andre was drafted as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft from the University of Arizona, Iguodala played 1,231 career games and was a key member of 4 NBA championship teams in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022.


Iguodala retired in October 2023 after an impressive 19 seasons in the NBA, all with the Golden State Warriors, where he also earned an NBA Finals MVP award in 2015. After retiring, he took on the role of acting Executive Director for the National Basketball Players Association.

MLK Day / TUSD Basketball Tournament


16 Teams participated in an all-day – at University of Arizona’s McKale Center – Basketball Tournament! Some of the most exciting High School games I have seen! 

  • Games included: St. Augustine vs Desert Christian – Girls, Santa Rita vs Bisbee – Boys, Buena vs Rincon/University – Girls, Coolidge vs The Gregory School - Boys, Pueblo vs Catalina Foothills – Girls, Palo Verde vs Sabino – Boys, Sahuaro vs Mica Mountain – Girls, Salpointe vs Tucson High - Boys


The day included awarding scholarships to students and the honoring of high school staff who have demonstrated the values expressed by Dr. King. 


We were proud to be involved and provided swag bags for scholarship winners and coaches. We were delighted that we could connect “Black Men in White Coats,” the University of Arizona Medical students, who hosted a table of information. 

We encouraged “Time out for History” along with the AAMSAZ Public Service Announcement, powered by TEP and designed by COX 2 of our LFI’s Legacy Founding Investors! Thank you TEP and COX

How can you participate? 

February 14


10 AM to 12 PM MST

Watch Livestream

All day: Visit By the People and jump into the African American Perspectives in the transcription campaign 10 AM to 12 PM MST: Tune into the Douglass Day livestream on their YouTube Channel


If you participate online let us know - via email - and we will send you an official Certificate of Participation!

Save The Date

The Tucson Festival of Books

is coming!


While you're enjoying the Festival

 stop by the Museum!

March 15-16, 2025

Learn More

Thank You ABC / Connections

that Count for...


A Great Kick Off to Black History Month

Connections that Count at The Dunbar

And ABC’s 2025 The Merchant & Mission-Focused Marketplace


(Photo credit to Joe Jackson, Jr.)


A Better Community (ABC) and its signature monthly program Connections that Count at The Dunbar was honored to have and host 30+ local Tucson Black-owned Businesses, Creatives and Mission-driven organizations for our 2025 Merchant & Mission-Focused Marketplace.

 The title Sponsor was 


APS Digital Print


Other Community Investment Sponsors were:


The State of Black Arizona

African American Museum of Southern Arizona

Bob and Beverely Elliott Family Charities

The Right to Read: A Parent’s Right to Know

Tuesday, February 25, 2025


5:30PM-7:30PM


Madge Utterback Middle School

(3233 S. Pinal Vista, Tucson, AZ 85713)

Join us for the screening of an incredible film that shares the stories of individuals who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. Food, prizes, books, and activities provided for children ages 5-9.

Harry Stewart Jr., was honored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2022 as one of 250 veterans. the Department of Veterans Affairs
© the Department of Veterans Affairs
Learn More

Harry Stewart Jr.


Retired Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr., one of the last two remaining members of the 355 original Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.  Born July 4, 1924, Stewart was 100. The Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum in Detroit confirmed his passing on February 2, 2025.


In an inspiring video shared with the African American Museum of Southern Arizona, by All-Pro Dads (courtesy of Tony Dungy), retired Lt. Col. Stewart is featured in an interview with former NFL Coach Tony Dungy. Coach Dungy discovered during his father’s memorial that his father, was also a Tuskegee Airman…(no he didn’t know that), served alongside Lt. Col. Stewart. Coach Dungy sought out Lt. Col. Stewart to find out more about his father. Why do we have this story? Coach Dungy has family and a close friend connection here in Southern Arizona which allowed us to share their powerful story.


Lt. Col. Stewart was part of the 332nd Fighter Group, famously known as the “Red Tails” for the distinctive coloring of their planes.

He was among the first 1,007 Black Army pilots trained in the 1940s at the segregated Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. Stewart earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery in escorting U.S. bombers during World War II, flying 43 missions. He is also one of the four Tuskegee Airmen shot down by three enemy aircraft in one day.


In addition to his service in World War II, Stewart was part of the team that won the Air Force’s first Top Gun Aerial Combat competition in 1949. Despite their outstanding feats, these African American pilots faced racism even after the war. Stewart, who started in aviation as a baggage handler, later went on to earn a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from New York University in 1963.

So Much Fun...Raytheon! 


We, The African American Museum of Southern Arizona, was deeply honored to be the beneficiary of the Raytheon/RTX Masquerade Gala, held on February 1st at Desert Diamond Casino. Raytheon/RTX, we are incredibly grateful to your members, including Chelsea Lewis (Global Trade Manager), for her continued support and volunteerism at our events, and to Kadar Hamilton for his unwavering commitment to the museum and our mission. Your dedication makes a lasting impact, and we thank you for standing with us and supporting our mission and vision!

A Personal Story of Literacy and the Fight for Justice

In the ongoing fight for social justice, literacy is a powerful tool we must all champion, and the museum is in the fight! Please join us in this crucial effort!


Let me share a personal story (I try not to do this since this is about you all). My grandfather was illiterate. I was just a little girl at the time, and I had no idea. One day in 1963, I asked him to sign something for me, and he signed it with an “X.” Curious, I asked what that was, and he simply said, “That’s my mark.” I didn’t understand until later, when I learned from my sister, Edith, that he didn’t know how to spell his own name. She wrote his name down for me and I practiced as well.


Determined to help him, I wrote his name on paper, and told him to trace it over and over until he could write it himself. Even though he was an older man at the time, he tried, and with persistence, he learned to write his name.


Today, in 2025, there is no excuse. We have the resources, the tools, and the knowledge to ensure that every child learns to read and write. Let’s commit to helping the next generation succeed. Let’s work together to create a future where everyone has access to the power of literacy.


Please attend and be part of this important movement!

Happy Birthday Arizona!


February 14th


We are celebrating 113 Years of Statehood!

Happy 116th 

Anniversary NAACP  


February 12th


Celebrate the founding of the nation’s oldest and most courageous civil rights organization. Take a moment to honor our past, and renew our commitment to the path ahead as we continue the fight for justice and freedom.

Yours in Community,

Beverely Elliott,

Executive Director


African American Museum of Southern Arizona (AAMSAZ)



We are a movement, not just a museum!

Become a part of assisting us as we share high-quality educational programming, engaging content, and impactful cultural information with our community and the world.

Become A Member or Renew!
Become A Donor!

Giving and Sharing



Our Legacy Founder Investors (LFI), COX, TEP, Elliott Family Charity, Zuckerman Family Foundation, Tucson Foundation


Thank you for your

unwavering support!

Supporting AAMSAZ We love hearing from you!


  • Gifts in any amount are always welcomed. Please use our easy and secure online giving site.
  • Do you have a legacy story or an oral history to share? How about an African American or Black collection that you want to donate to AAMSAZ?
  • Let's connect. Please email us and let us know at AAMuseumofSouthernAZ@gmail.com

Our Website:

AAMSAZ.org

Seeking Volunteers

Contact Us

Join our team of volunteers!


Join the effort to preserve African American history and culture in Southern Arizona. AAMSAZ welcomes volunteers. Background checks will be conducted. We are committed to finding meaningful ways for you to contribute.


Please contact us at AAMuseumofSouthernAZ@gmail.com to learn how you can volunteer.

We hope to see you soon!

Sign Up for Tours and Visits


Wednesday - Saturday

10 AM to 4 PM

Friday

10 AM to 3 PM


Tours or visits to the AAMSAZ are by appointment only. Schedule a tour by signing up online. Please check our schedule and sign up using the AAMSAZ website sign-up page!

General Admission to the museum is free

Please consider Making a Donation in any amount. Thank you!

Please know that we do not share or distribute emails that we receive.

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