|
|
|
African American Museum of Southern Arizona
Monday Moments
in African American History
| | |
|
We are Wrapping up
National Black History Month…..
But for us, we are excited because black history never ENDS!
Because it is every day of every month of every year!
| |
The African American Museum of Southern Arizona
is busy at work with Black History Month activities, including our
Free Swim Project!
| |
While we've had a great response, we want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. Recent tragedies highlight the importance of water safety.
And......playing in the water isn't the same as knowing how to swim!
| Secure one of our remaining 12 spots for your child today! | There is an educational and engaging swim survival and lesson program with funds from funding from the One AZ Foundation, managed by the African American Museum of Southern Arizona. The grant will be in partnership with the University of Arizona’s Recreation Center and facilitated by AAMSAZ Advisory Board Member Kimberlee Avant and UA Rec Department Daniel Hepfer. | |
|
Researchers at USA Swimming and the University of Memphis found that
70% of African American people cannot swim at all,
while for Caucasians, the figure is still high at 31%.
So…. The Need
-
There is a need for African American children to learn to swim.
- Fatality rates from drowning for African American children are staggering.
Among ages 5 to 19, African Americans drown in pools at a rate
5.5 times that of whites.
When all age groups and venues are combined, the ratio is 3.2 to 1.0. That means that for every 100 white children who drown, 320 black children drown.
| |
|
The City of Tucson -
Ward 3 Office Tour at AAMSAZ
| |
The City of Tucson - Ward 3 Office visited the African American Museum of Southern Arizona (AAMSAZ) as they kicked off Black History Month in February. Beverely and Bob provided a guided tour of the AAMSAZ museum for the Ward 3 office, and it was a wonderful experience for all involved. | |
Bob Elliott, Ward 3 Chief of Staff Katie Bolger, Ward 3 Council Aide CJ Boyd, Vice Mayor Kevin Dahl, Ward 3 Office Administrator Shannon Jenkins, Beverely Elliott. and Ward 3 Council Aide Marlene Avelino at the African American Museum of Southern Arizona | |
"This small but mighty collection of artifact displays the rich history of African Americans in Arizona," by CJ Boyd.
We value everyone's reflections on the museum experience and appreciate your insights into exhibits like the Buffalo Soldiers, QR codes, and the Underground Railroad quilt.
| |
Ward 3 staff with Bob and Beverely Elliott. | |
|
It's always rewarding to hear our visitors leave the museum with new knowledge and perspectives, as evidenced by their remarks,
"I didn't know that."
Hosting your team was a pleasure, and we thoroughly enjoyed sharing our museum's rich history and artifacts with you.
| |
Join us for "Honoring Roots and Rhythms" | |
|
Date: Tuesday, February 27
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: Bartlett Academic Success Center, Room 110,
Thrive Center
| AAMSAZ will celebrate Black History Month with the UA Thrive Center and African American Student Affairs as we delve into the vibrant world of African drumming, presented by the Barbea Williams Performing Company (BWPC)! | Delious food will be provided! | Don't miss out on this immersive cultural experience! | |
|
Congress Refuses to Seat John Willis Menard
The First Black Man Elected to the House of Representatives
| |
On February 27, 1869, Congress voted against seating John Willis Menard, the first Black man ever elected to the House of Representatives. | |
|
The Library of Congress recently digitized this portrait of John Willis Menard,
the only known photograph of the African-American trailblazer. Composite of Library of Congress images
| |
-
James Garfield, then a member of Congress who later became the president, confirmed the decision, arguing that “it was too early to admit a Negro to the U.S. Congress, and that the seat [should] be declared vacant, and the salary of $5,000″ saved.
- By this vote, Mr. Menard was barred from ever being seated, and his constituents denied their chosen representative and all representation until the following election.
- Mr. Menard was a poet, newspaper publisher, and politician. He won at least 64% of the vote in a special election held in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district—New Orleans—in November 1868, after the incumbent died.
- Despite an overwhelming victory, his election faced fierce opposition, led by the white man who lost the election, Caleb S. Hunt.
- The House Committee on Elections held a hearing to decide whether or not to seat Mr. Menard, and the debate then moved to the entire House on February 27.
-
During the debate, Mr. Menard became the first Black man to speak on the floor of the House of Representatives. Mr. Hunt’s claims of protest against the election’s validity were defeated convincingly by the House, as Mr. Hunt did not even show up to testify and presented no evidence supporting his claims.
-
However, Congress refused to seat Mr. Menard by a vote of 130 to 57 because he was a Black man.
|  | In the early years of Reconstruction after the Civil War, African American men were able to exercise their vote for the first time. Mr. Menard’s election in 1868, in 10 of the 11 former Confederate states, approximately 80% of eligible Black men were registered voters. | |
- Consequently, many African American officials, particularly in the South where Black populations were much larger, were elected into public office. These officials faced fierce opposition and backlash from white people desperate to maintain a racial hierarchy.
- Throughout the South, White southerners turned to violence, mass lynchings, and lawlessness in order to suppress and intimidate African American voters who were seeking to express themselves lawfully at the ballot box.
- White officials in the North and West similarly rejected racial equality, codified racial discrimination, and occasionally embraced the same tactics of violent control seen in the South.
| |
Plan on it... Plays by Anita | |
Join "Dad & Me" on March 2, 2024, at 2 PM,
as the Social Justice Committee of GTMBC presents
| | |
|
|
In this heartfelt production, Marie navigates the challenges of caring for her father's Alzheimer's. The story unfolds with poignant moments, highlighting the complexities of relationships and memory.
- Don't miss this unique portrayal of life's twists and turns—where moments become memories.
Join it for one show only!
All seats are $22.
The Berger Performing Arts Center,
1200 W. Speedway Blvd.,
Tucson, AZ 85745
| |
|
Carter G. Woodson:
The Man Behind Black History Month
| |
|
“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”
- Carter G. Woodson
| | |
|
Carter G. Woodson:
The Man Behind Black History Month
December 19, 1875–April 3, 1950
Source: Library of Congress
| |
Every month is Black History Month! Today, we celebrate its founder, Carter G. Woodson. | In 1926, scholar, author, journalist, and founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Carter G. Woodson, founded Negro History Week. His goal was to incorporate Black history into the public school curriculum. | Initially, only a few school districts observed Negro History Week. Over the next few years, Woodson and the Association of African American Life and History, in coordination with Black churches and the press, organized a national campaign to raise awareness of Negro History Week. | - By the 1930s, nearly every state with a large Black population observed Negro History Week.
| |
What was once a small movement became an internationally recognized month commemorating Black history and culture across the African Diaspora. | | | | |
