Black History Month

In this motivational address, the 1994 Charles H. Thompson Lecture-Colloquium keynote speaker notes the rift between members of the African American middle and upper classes and those in the so-called underclass, and suggests means for bridging this gap. She maintains that if conditions within the Black community are to improve, African Americans must first take individual and collective responsibility for their destinies by examining their strengths and weaknesses, attacking negative stereotypes and societally imposed feelings of inferiority, learning about African and African American history and culture, and reinvesting in themselves spiritually and intellectually as well as professionally and economically.

The civil rights laws of the 1960s made legal provisions to end discrimination that kept certain people from voting, renting or buying a home, sending their children to the neighborhood public school, or getting hired by an employer. Americans of all races increasingly recognized that discrimination has no place in a healthy society. The nation made huge strides in narrowing the gap between the freedoms enjoyed by whites and by minorities. Still, conflicts over race continued after the civil rights era.

The establishment of the Black Lives Matter movement has shown that more and more citizens are aware of the importance of human rights and social equality. Since there are ongoing racial issues in American society, these relevant protests have created a significant impact on social and political discourse. The movements attempt to motivate people to fight against systemic racism. In addition, the elite discourse represents dominant beliefs and may be designed to provoke certain sociocultural cognitive biases against other ethnic groups. Thus, behavior and discourse analyses reveal the ideologies sustained by specific groups in society. Moreover, the analysis of the Press helps comprehend their embedded and potential strategies for mobilizing support for particular beliefs as mass media are highly likely to produce prejudicial discourse on subordinate minorities and may either influence or shift public narratives to a certain degree. Systemic racism has set root in American society; as a consequence, racial injustice and social inequality demand effective and satisfactory solution

In this episode of Black in Arizona, we sat down with former Flagstaff city councilmember and mayor Coral Evans and Chandler Councilmember Christine Ellis about being the first, the challenges of overcoming stereotypes, and the impact of their roles are making within their communities.

This is the story of three entrepreneurs who became successful when it seemed nearly impossible for Black Arizonans to carve out a place in business.

In this episode, meet a culinary legend in Arizona's Black community and the grandson who followed in her footsteps.

Explore the diverse Black culture of Arizona while discovering the rich heritage behind the Okemah Community that once called Phoenix home.

It was only 80 years ago segregation and education disparities haunted the halls of Arizona schools.

n the final episode, learn about the different stories of Black Arizonans who became successful entrepreneurs, doctors, artists and community leaders, but not without hardship.

As Black people fought for full citizenship, hour one explores how free African Americans exercised their self-determination by building communities, establishing schools, and creating associations that would become the foundational pillars of Black America. Host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the organizations, networks and artistic impression created by and for Black people.

As Jim Crow laws went into effect, African Americans built a “life behind the veil” to meet their educational, economic, political, and cultural needs. Hour two explores the genesis of these organizations and networks that paved the way for Black life to flourish. Host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. highlights the progress Black people made during the early 20th Century.

In hour three, the Great Depression devastates America’s economy and brings Black America to its knees. To survive, the Black community uses social networks to navigate the oppressive realities of Jim Crow. Host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores how social networks formed the cultural, economic and political foundation of the Civil Rights Movement which would transform America’s race relations.

Despite the gains of legal desegregation, hour four reveals a fervent desire for Black spaces and institutions that provide a safe place to debate, organize and celebrate. Host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores how Black cultural and political movements - from Black Power to Black Twitter - embraced a radical consciousness that championed a new generation.