Linn Myrick
On Jan. 16 members of Let’s Travel Club carpooled to Tucson on a day trip, “Exploring Black History in Arizona and Lunch.” The date was intentional to align closely with the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. His adoption of nonviolent resistance to achieve equal rights for Black Americans earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Did you know that Mr. King was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35?
At the Dunbar School, we had a private, guided tour led by Barbara Lewis, a student who attended Dunbar from 1942 to 1950. The Dunbar School, established in 1913, was the first and only segregated school for Black students in Tucson. It was the only school where African American teachers could teach. Today, the Dunbar Pavilion continues its legacy as a center for cultural preservation, community empowerment, and small business development.
Next, we had a private tour of the African American Museum of Southern Arizona, located on the University of Arizona campus. The museum’s mission is to gather and share stories, images, and artifacts to document, digitize, and preserve African American life, culture, and history in Southern Arizona, benefiting the community.
We wrapped up our day with lunch at the University of Arizona’s Student Union building.