We have used music to aid healing but only recently have we understood how it works. Music has always been intricately involved in cultures, from lullabies to dirges, work songs to war songs, entertainment to music’s profound role in spiritual expression. There is no culture without it. Thought to have the power to heal the […]
The 1930s and 1940s were the era of Western singing cowboys like Rex Allen, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Herb Jefferies was the African-American singing cowboy, appearing in movies and on stage for African-American audiences. He could ride, rope and sing with the best of them and his story has largely been forgotten. This presentation […]
Learn about Arizona Humanities Mini Grants - small grants of up to $2,000 available on a rolling basis to support innovative public programs that increase understanding of the human experience. During the free webinar, Arizona Humanities staff will share information about Mini Grants, the online application process, and answer any questions. Click here to register.
With the exception of the most ardent collectors and older generation, the influence and legacy of the big bands is largely forgotten despite their overwhelming popularity and significant role in early radio. Join Larson as he revisits the sounds America listened and danced to for more than three decades. Learn how iconic artists like Glenn […]
Conspiracy and Credibility: Look Who’s Talking, about What — Law Talk and Loose Talk Dr. T.J. Davis, Arizona State University, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies It is undeniable that words have power, the power to teach, to defend, to inspire and to offend, the power to reveal facts and falsehoods, the power to […]
The Long Walk of the Navajo People, 1864-1868 In 1864, Navajo people were forced to walk over 450 miles to Fort Sumner in eastern New Mexico. Imprisoned on a 40-square mile reservation for four long years the people suffered from hunger, loneliness, illnesses, and severe environmental conditions. On June 1, 1868, U. S. officials and […]
The Woman Who Shot Cowboys: Rodeo Photographer Louise L. Serpa Anyone who has ever stared down an angry bull coming full throttle across an arena will understand why rodeo photographer Louise Serpa often uttered the adage, “Never Don’t Pay Attention.” Born into New York society, Louise ended up out west with her nose buried in […]
Body Cameras, Tasers and Guns: Modern Policing or a Police State? Michael Scott, Arizona State University, Clinical Professor, Director of Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, School of Criminology & Criminal Justice The methods and tools used by police officers today are not the same as in the past. In some cases the police are using military […]
A Story, A Story: African and African American Oral Tradition and Storytelling When the African slave was brought to the Caribbean and North and South America, s/he brought her oral literature and performance style. This presentation focuses on the transfer of those oral traditions from African culture to African American culture. Such traditions can be […]
Plants, Inspiring the People: Reflections on Hualapai Ethnobotany of the Grand Canyon Where lies the cure to diabetes? “Ask the prickly pear, or the mesquite bean pod…maybe they will tell you.” This is the answer you may hear from elder instructors of the Hualapai Ethnobotany Youth Project. The ethnobotanical story of the Hualapai Tribe begins […]
Join Arizona Humanities and the Mountain View School for a family fun evening celebrating reading and books! Meet local children's authors, hear exciting stories, create art, and more! Take part in the K-3 Reading Challenge Awards and Pictures! Each child will receive one free book! FREE PIZZA! Translators available. Questions about the Hop, Skip and Jump program? Karen O’Keefe […]
Faith in the Borderlands: Immigration and Religion in Arizona Dr. Leah Sarat, Arizona State University, Associate Professor, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies Many immigrants facing the challenges and risks involved in traveling to and settling within the United States turn to religious beliefs and practices for strength, empowerment, and to establish a sense […]
By the Time They Came to Phoenix: African American Cotton Pickers in Arizona Description – Featuring a documentary that tells the stories of early African American cotton pickers in El Mirage and in other regions of Arizona, this presentation explores the lives of African Americans who came to the cotton fields from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and […]
Arizona Songbirds: The life stories of Marty Robbins and Linda Ronstadt These two Arizonans were blessed with beautiful and unforgettable singing voices and had more hits than the Arizona Diamondbacks. Songs like El Paso, Big Iron, Yellow Roses for Robbins and Different Drum, Blue Bayou and Skylark for Ronstadt. Marty was a little bit country […]
John Wayne was born in Iowa and lived for most of his adult life in California. Yet, he spent many years exploring, living, and investing in Arizona, where he produced his own films, raised cattle, operated a game ranch, and was seemingly everywhere at once. Wayne remains an iconic presence in American popular culture. In […]
Saturday, March 4 History and Wildlife of Saguaro National Park a panel discussion featuring Jane Eppinga and wildlife biologist, Jessica Lamberton-Moreno. Presented by: Jane Eppinga and Jessica Lamberton-Moreno 12 PM & 2 PM Eppinga’s content will be based on her book Saguaro National Park (Images of America). Her writing tells the story of the Organic […]
Is This Racist? Racial Literacy and Social Media Dr. Kathy Nakagawa, Arizona State University, School of Social Transformation Many parents and educators avoid conversations about race and racism with their children and students, yet young people are regularly exposed to images, stories, videos and statements that reflect racial societal attitudes. This exposure often comes through […]
Swing Into History With the exception of the most ardent collectors and older generation, the influence and legacy of the big bands is largely forgotten despite their overwhelming popularity and significant role in early radio. Join Larson as he revisits the sounds America listened and danced to for more than three decades. Learn how iconic […]
Winnie Ruth Judd, Eva Dugan, Dr. Rose Boido, and Eva Wilbur Cruz all shared one thing in common. They were all incarcerated at the Arizona State Prison in Florence. These women were players in both the sensational stories that made national headlines and local stories that made Arizona history. Who were these women and how […]
All Hat and No Cattle: The language of the American West Every day we use words and phrases whose roots lie in our western heritage. Words like “brand,” “maverick,” and “dude,” along with phrases like” climb down off your high horse” and “passing the buck” all grew out of the culture and experiences of those […]
Join us for a free film screening and discussion with Grace Gámez from the American Friends Service Committee. The Prison in Twelve Landscapes is a film about the prison and its life in the American landscape: from a California mountainside where female prisoners fight raging wildfires, to a Bronx warehouse full of goods destined for […]
Growing Up Chicana in Morenci, Arizona Through a slide presentation of the town before its destruction in the late 1960s, readings from Suffer Smoke and Water from the Moon, and oral history interviews, Díaz Björkquist portrays the lives of girls and women of Morenci in their own voices. It is a historically accurate picture of life […]
Meteorites Among Ancient Native American Cultures The occurrence of meteorites on archaeological sites in North America has been known since the early 19th century. From the Hopewell culture in the eastern United States, to the Polar Eskimo, to the Indians in the American Southwest and northern Mexico, meteorites have been found on these ancient sites. […]
Written in Thread: Arizona Women’s History preserved in their Quilts Written in Thread: Arizona Women’s History preserved in their Quilts traces the history of Arizona through women who recorded pieces of their lives in their needlework. The colorful patterns of women’s quilts added a spot of brightness to their homes and their lives. They also celebrated […]
The Food of Arizona: Many Cultures, Many Flavors Consider the taco, that favorite treat, a staple of Mexican and Mexican American cooking and an old standby on an Arizonan’s plate. The corn in the tortilla comes from Mexico, the cheese from the Sahara, the lettuce from Egypt, the onion from Syria, the tomatoes from South […]
Film + Talk: The Prison in Twelve Landscapes Thursday, March 9th - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Burton Barr Central Library - Pulliam Auditorium 1221 N. Central Ave. - Phoenix, AZ 85004 In partnership with the American Friends Services Committee and Phoenix Public Library and the Phoenix Public Library. RSVP: www.prisonlandscapes.eventbrite.com Join us for a free film […]
Winnie Ruth Judd, Eva Dugan, Dr. Rose Boido, and Eva Wilbur Cruz all shared one thing in common. They were all incarcerated at the Arizona State Prison in Florence. These women were players in both the sensational stories that made national headlines and local stories that made Arizona history. Who were these women and how […]
Cowboys and Cowgirls: Icons of the American West Few symbols have been more durable than the American cowboy. This program will give an overview of this populist figure, whose image was first defined by painters Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Also important to the story are brave cowgirls and the Mexican vaqueros. Buffalo Bill’s […]
The Mighty Colorado River: From its Sources to the Sea Jim Turner has traced the Green and Colorado rivers from their beginnings as clear bubbling glacial springs high in the mountains, then through roaring canyons in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, and finally to the salt flats in Mexico. Stunning photographs tell the story of the […]
Tom Mix: King of the Cowboys Cowboy movie star Tom Mix was internationally famous, and many legends and tall tales have been told about his life. This presentation highlights some of the true stories about Mix and his connection to Arizona, debunking some of the Hollywood hype. What brought Mix travel that lonesome highway where […]
In the 1960s and 1970s a generation of Mexican Americans, frustrated by persistent discrimination and poverty, find a new way forward, through social action and the building of a new "Chicano" identity. The movement is ignited when farm workers in the fields of California, led by César Chavez and Dolores Huerta, march on Sacramento for […]
The men who explored Arizona are legends in the history of the region and of anthropology, but what about the women who accompanied them or explored by themselves? Did you know that Matilda Coxe Stevenson was a member of the first official government survey of Canyon de Chelly or that Emma Mindeleff surveyed ruins in […]
Join Arizona Humanities and the Maricopa County Library District Perry Branch Library for a family fun day celebrating reading and books! Meet local children's authors, hear exciting stories, participate in sing-alongs and dance, enjoy tasty snacks, create art, and more! Each child will receive one free book! Families and children ages are welcome to this […]
March 18 - Arizona Herb Association Explore samples of plants found on the museum grounds with the perspective of how they fit into the medicine chest, sewing box, and kitchen pantry of those who lived here before the Europeans arrived. Still common in the landscape or scattered in the surrounding desert, plants that function aesthetically […]
Lee Wee Kwon, Chinese Grocer in Tucson, 1917-1965 The Chinese had once dominated Tucson’s grocery business. Lee Wee Kwon was among the successful Chinese grocers whose business relied on the patronage of a Hispanic clientele. Lee entered the US as a refugee from Mexican Revolution. Before he came to Tucson, he had lived and worked […]
Swing Into History With the exception of the most ardent collectors and older generation, the influence and legacy of the big bands is largely forgotten despite their overwhelming popularity and significant role in early radio. Join Larson as he revisits the sounds America listened and danced to for more than three decades. Learn how iconic […]
Civic Engagement: What is it & why is it important? Ryan Winkle, Co-founder RAILMesa What is civic engagement? How can you engage and empower people in your communities? Explore the idea that civic participation is not just important, but imperative for a community to be successful. Learn and reflect on how being an “engaged” citizen […]
You are invited to journey across the urban desert landscape with Jaclyn Roessel of Grownup Navajo. This poetry workshop will focus on the omnipresence of sacredness in our everyday environments. Participants will travel by the Valley Metro light rail to places in Phoenix and embark in several writing exercises. The goal of this session is […]
Rescued Lives, Transformed Communities: Refugee Resettlement in Arizona Lori Robinson, MSW Candidate, ASU School of Social Work Emily Taylor, International Rescue Committee-Phoenix According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, there are currently over 60,000,000 displaced persons in the world, most of them women and children. Less than one percent of the refugees worldwide […]
The Ballad of Arizona: our First Hundred Years Similar to NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion” but with and Arizona twist, this program uses music, storytelling and live radio-style newscasts to present important but often neglected events in Arizona history. The “Hoosiers”-like story of a Miami, AZ High School basketball team comprised of the sons of […]
Arizona Songbirds: The life stories of Marty Robbins and Linda Ronstadt These two Arizonans were blessed with beautiful and unforgettable singing voices and had more hits than the Arizona Diamondbacks. Songs like El Paso, Big Iron, Yellow Roses for Robbins and Different Drum, Blue Bayou and Skylark for Ronstadt. Marty was a little bit country […]
The Long Walk of the Navajo People, 1864-1868 In 1864, Navajo people were forced to walk over 450 miles to Fort Sumner in eastern New Mexico. Imprisoned on a 40-square mile reservation for four long years the people suffered from hunger, loneliness, illnesses, and severe environmental conditions. On June 1, 1868, U. S. officials and […]
These two Arizonans were blessed with beautiful and unforgettable singing voices and had more hits than the Arizona Diamondbacks. Songs like El Paso, Big Iron, Yellow Roses for Robbins and Different Drum, Blue Bayou and Skylark for Ronstadt. Marty was a little bit country and Linda was a little bit rock and roll. Both of […]
Instruments and Music of Arizona’s Pioneers The story of our state is not complete without music. This program will focus on the various genres of music that reflected the milieu and personalities of our various immigrants. Using musical instruments and stories, audience members will be presented an artistic tableau of our past: heroes, villains, and […]
Art of the Internment Camps: Culture Behind Barbed Wire President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1942 WWII Executive Order 9066 forced the removal of nearly 125,000 Japanese-American citizens from the west coast, incarcerating them in ten remote internment camps in seven states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Government photographers Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, and […]
Dr. Kathy Nakagawa, Arizona State University, School of Social Transformation Many parents and educators avoid conversations about race and racism with their children and students, yet young people are regularly exposed to images, stories, videos and statements that reflect racial societal attitudes. This exposure often comes through social media, such as YouTube videos, tweets, Facebook […]
Few symbols have been more durable than the American cowboy. This program will give an overview of this populist figure, whose image was first defined by painters Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Also important to the story are brave cowgirls and the Mexican vaqueros. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show showcased mythic cowboy culture, with […]
Early traders traveled through Arizona Territory, selling goods from their wagons, but they soon built stores that evolved into trading and social centers where wool, sheep, and Native Arts were exchanged for food and necessities. Navajo trading posts are best known, but trading posts existed on every reservation in Arizona. Traders became the intermediaries between […]
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