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Happy Asian Pacific American | Haitian Heritage Month Clean Air Month |
Mental Health Awareness | National Foster Care Month
May brings the heat in Arizona and the warmth in other parts of the country. I like the fall and spring but I am soooo, glad we are enjoying more daylight and sunshine.
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Nikieia Johnson, our new Director...
Will begin May 5th. Nikiea brings with her a powerful combination of experience, passion, and dedication to community. Just FYI, I will be by her side as we transition and always be available to her if she needs anything.
By the way, stay tuned as we are narrowing down our pool of candidates for the Multi-Media Specialist! They should be on board by late June.
Also please note our summer hours.
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We have had the pleasure of working with 4 interns this semester and as they move into their summer rest, jobs, and classes we wish them the best! Will- is graduating and is heading to Sicily for a dig! Janae is hoping for an internship on a prestigious movie set, William will be working on classes and Chrys is hoping for a summer internship in another museum. We had such a wonderful and amazing semester. Our summer interns are ready to go and we are delighted to welcome them. All of these interns completed projects that they felt fit their interests and we supported them as they supported the museum.
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Will assisted with a display that we will complete this summer regarding Emmett Till and the various monuments. We have a painting in the museum, by local artist Dale Lieberman, with information about the Anti-Lynching law. On March 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law, making lynching a federal hate crime, a historic achievement after over a century of failed attempts to pass such legislation. The museum was not open during this but we were very vocal in our support of this legislation!
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William studied the Buffalo Soldiers and became a student expert as he provided tours that everyone loved. He is a great docent and a people person with “impeccable manners” according to one of our visitors. He will continue to expand his knowledge and assist with the museum moving forward.
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Janae, whose energy and friendliness was there every step of the way, captured the various times we were featured on tv and cable and will put those spots together for our video archive and for an in-house project. She also recommended the new A frame sign that you will see outside the museum when we are open.
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Chrys assisted with adjusting space and making recommendations on the set up of the museum. We moved and updated several exhibitions based on her recommendations. We were excited that local handyman Darcell Ealy was always ready to move, paint, hang items, take items down and more! Chrys also completed her assignment on Hattie McDaniel in Tucson and on WWII Pearl Harbor hero, fighting off planes to help the USS Arizona, Dorie Miller.
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Mother's Day
Mother’s Day is a time to appreciate all kinds of mothers — from birth mothers to foster mothers, from Aunties or Tia's to Godmothers to Grandmothers, and even mothers whose only children are covered in fur and those creatures who walk on all fours or others.
May is also National Creative Beginnings Month, National Barbecue Month and National Inventors Month (Go STEM, STEAM, STREAM!).
So, now is the time to be creative and inventive. You can take up a hobby, like my sister Kim, she is painting! How about gardening, quilting, having lunch with a friend every 2nd Wednesday.
Get started by taking a walking through a hobby store and maybe you find your passion to be creative.
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ABC’s and the Goodwill Industries
Eggstravaganza - Easter Egg Hunt
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We were thrilled to support ABC and Goodwill Industries
Egg-stravaganza...
Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 19th!
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A huge shoutout to Trehon & Carmushun Coleman of A Better Community and Lance Meeks VP of Community Engagement, at Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona for creating such a joyful and memorable experience for over 350 children, parents, and even a few spirited seniors!
From face painting and hot dogs to prizes and an egg hunt, the event was filled with laughter, smiles, and pure community magic. We were honored to be part of this heartwarming celebration!
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Frances Harper Read a Thon!
Happy 200th Birthday!
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Readers took part in Arizona Reads Harper! event on April 18 from 2:00-4:30pm at the University of Arizona.
As a Borderlands celebration launch, the museum supported the nationwide #Harper 200 Read-a-thon, an exciting project coming out of the national digital humanities initiative, the Center for Black Digital Research/#digblk. The Tucson community and the UA Community came out to listen to the readings and a treasure trove of writings by this fearless advocate for Civil Rights who was the most beloved African American poet and the most prolific African American novelist of her time.
Her writings that were written more than 200 years ago…spoke to us as if it were 2025!
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This event included readers: Dr. Tanisha Price-Johnson, Larry Starks, Dr. Bryan Carter, Daisy Jenkins, Esq., Dr. Sylvia Lett, Robin Sparks, Esq., Dr. Jerome Dodson, Dr. Jenna Hatcher, and Halsey Taylor. AAMSAZ Volunteers: Rose Taulton and Jamie Clark for the museum were on hand as always to help and advise!
This event was hosted in collaboration with the Department of Public and Applied Humanities (Dr. Jacqueline Barrios), UA Libraries (Dr. Heather Froehlich), UA Bookstore (Yahdira Acevedo), the African American Museum of Southern Arizona (Beverely Elliott), with snacks by Mobile Mocktails (Yummy, Dr. Kimberlee Avant)!
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SVP (Social Ventures Partners)
Fast Pitch Big Prize Winner is
Mr. Larry Starks!
We are so Proud of You!
Congratulations to our Partner and Friend.
On Thursday, April 3rd at the Fox Theater
Larry was outstanding!
Mr. Larry Starks, President of Tucson Juneteenth Festival, Inc.
Fast Pitch: Sparking Change, Strengthening Tucson
Fast Pitch is lighting up Tucson with energy, innovation, and hope. This exciting program brings our entire community together to rally behind positive change. At the heart of it all? Philanthropy as a force for good, and nonprofits leading the way with bold solutions to our most pressing challenges.
Through this proven program, nonprofit leaders gain valuable tools to clearly and confidently share their mission, impact, and vision. In the process, they connect with donors, expand their reach, and grow their capacity to thrive.
Together, they are building a stronger, more resilient nonprofit community—one relationship, one pitch, and one big idea at a time.
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Data Spotlight
According to the 2025 Nonprofit Acceleration Report, 64% of nonprofits that exceeded their 2024 fundraising goals had one thing in common—a strong loyalty program. In contrast, nearly 70% of under-performing organizations either lacked such a program or needed significant improvements. The takeaway? Sustainable growth starts with strong community connection.
Thank you Tucson, Southern Arizona, The State of Arizona and the greater community for your continued support as we exceeded our 2024 fundraising goals!
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Juneteenth is on the way!
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June 7th - Kickin’ Off Juneteenth - Unity, Community, and Celebration!
- June 8th - The Juneteenth Jubilee – Pima Community College
- June 11th – Black Women of Tucson – The Loft Cinema
- June 14th – Tucson Juneteenth Festival – Kino Sports Complex
- June 19th - The Drawing Studio / Tucson Blvd. 100 pieces of Pan African Art
- Music and more – Catalyst Creative Space/Tucson Mall
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Pope Francis Passing
Pope Francis and Former President Barack Obama meet on September 22, 2015 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
“Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people. In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound — embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners — he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another.
Today, Michelle and I mourn with everyone around the world — Catholic and non-Catholic alike — who drew strength and inspiration from the Pope’s example.
May we continue to heed his call to ‘never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope.’”
— Former President Barack Obama
CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
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Whitney Plantation Grants Terminated Amid Federal Arts Funding Cuts
The federal government has revoked two grants previously awarded to the Whitney Plantation—a museum dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of slavery in America—as part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to scale back support for arts and cultural institutions.
Last week, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) officially ended the grants, which were originally provided through a program supporting African American museums. In a letter to recipients, Acting Director Keith Sonderling stated that the funding “is no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States.” He added that the agency will be realigning its funding to reflect President Donald Trump’s policy agenda. The decision follows sweeping budget cuts across federal agencies, which also led to all IMLS staff being placed on administrative leave in late March.
Whitney Plantation in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana.
Credit: Creative Commons
Nonprofit News for New Orleans/ Vertie News
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What’s going on with Museums?
MuseumExpert.org Newsletter | Supporting Museum Professionals in a Shifting Landscape
Beverely Elliott
At MuseumExpert.org, their mission has always been to build a strong, supportive community for museum professionals—helping them design fulfilling, resilient careers. This mission took shape during the height of the pandemic, adapted during the period of institutional reopening, and has recently evolved to engage in the growing national conversation around cultivating a more human-centered workplace. We believe that a healthy internal museum culture is essential to delivering meaningful, community-focused public service.
In alignment with this vision, we have been exploring initiatives that approach professional and institutional well-being from multiple angles—including the ethical use of AI, enhancing digital engagement through virtual tours, supporting genealogy and family history research, and advancing education. These projects were designed not only to innovate museum practice but also to foster deeper connection between museums and the communities we serve.
Together, we can ensure that museums remain spaces of truth, inclusion, and innovation—even in uncertain times.
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Become an AAMSAZ monthly donor
and support our mission.
We appreciate Xavier Walker, Kendall Foster,
Larry Haynes, Dinah McGlory, Jonelle Vold, and Brad Terry. You have been supporters from the start! Thank you!
| | | | 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. | | | | | |
Our Legacy Founder Investors (LFI), COX, TEP, Elliott Family Charity, Zuckerman Family Foundation, Tucson Foundation
Thank you for your
unwavering support!
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Supporting AAMSAZ | We love hearing from you!
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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?
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Let's connect. Please email us and let us know at AAMuseumofSouthernAZ@gmail.com.
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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.
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Hours of Operation
Wednesday - Saturday
10 AM to 4 PM
Friday
10 AM to 3 PM
Small groups of 5 or less can stop in anytime during our open hours.
Please check our schedule for Holiday and Summer Hours listed on our website.
Schedule a tour of 6 or more by signing up online. website sign-up page! Thank you for your support!
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General Admission to
the museum is free!
Help us keep it that way by
Making a Donation!
Thank you!
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Find AAMSAZ on Facebook and Twitter.
Use #aamsaz and #aams_AZ on your social media posts.
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