According to Glegziabher’s essay, “Black people, African American and immigrant alike, are labeled as outsiders and largely excluded from narratives about the past, present and future of Arizona.”
Glegziabher continued, “It was torn down along with several other businesses to build Chase Field. The latter was opened in 1921 by the city’s first Black physician, Dr. Wilson Hackett, and was the first hospital to serve African Americans in the city. That location is now an empty lot. While the demolition of these two properties may have been unrelated, their absence from the city’s geography serves the more extensive sanitation of the state’s history that excludes itself from national narratives of Jim Crow and racial segregation, which are often erroneously mapped onto a North-South binary.
According to Stewart, “I would like to say two things. Number one, there’s a wealth of African-American history in this state before it even became a state. So, the history of Black people, people are going to stand in Arizona, and it’s a gold mine to be mined. But the other piece is I would suggest that because of systemic racism, white historians believe that white is the standard. So, therefore, Black, Brown, Red, or any other type of history doesn’t take priority because white history is the standard. I’m writing a piece right now, and the question I raise is, you may not be a white supremacist, but you are a white “standardist.” That’s the word I coined because you believe that white sets the standard, and that in itself is racist. So that gets to me, to the core of the problem of why this wealth of African-American history [is erased.]”
Powe, similar to Glegziabher, discussed the erasure of Black historical landmarks in her remarks.
Powe continued, “I had an opportunity to learn that Malinda Curtis used to live in an alley a few years ago before it was demolished by the City of Phoenix. Her old hotel, [a] brick hotel, used to be right there in that alley. This woman was a pillar of her community. People came to her, and she helped others find places to stay.”
“But the only reason I learned about that was because of the tribute of the mural. It’s extremely difficult to find any information on Malinda, and I’m certain that it is more difficult for Black families who were born and raised generationally here in the state of Arizona.”
Pratcher continued, “Like there has to be a relationship between the institutions and the communities that they’re a part of. I would argue that, as I was saying earlier, about the issue with land, right? It’s our institutions and our professional positions. I mean, when we think of the amount of state legislators we have, we have fewer now than we did in 1952.”
Salow pointed to the erasure of ASU’s first Black male graduate, Benton James.
Salow continued, We’ve been lucky enough to find some things now, with the help of people in our state who are very dedicated to bringing to light the Black history of our state. But why is this history not here? Why are we, as institutions, not taking the time to just go into our own institutional archives and start really connecting the dots when it comes to Black history? As I said, I am doing the work to ensure that all of our Black graduates are Black alumni at ASU, has a story, has a place to tell their story of their time at ASU.”
Stewart closed the discussion on a hopeful note, saying that the other participants in the conversation left him feeling hopeful for the future of Arizona. “My two sisters here, my brother here. I’m almost 73 years of age, so I’m passing the baton. But even I accepted this invitation because I have hope. The very fact that you want to talk about this subject. And I’m here with my two talented, gifted sisters and brothers. Here they are. My hope. They are the future to bring change. And so I acknowledge the reality of the racist system. But I see, when I hear and see my brother and my two sisters here, I have hope.”
Source: Black Enterprise
