“Ms. Taulton and Ms. Li, Again, I want to thank you both for your time and enthusiasm on our visit to the AAMSAZ on yesterday. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the museum’s info on the Buffalo Soldiers, and all of the other amazing offerings. We both realized that due to our being late, and the construction going on in the area, it would have been easy for you to have closed. So, again, we offer our thanks to both of you and wish that the efforts to improve the museum will be very successful.” (Visitor)

“I like how it is all organized. I would like to see this museum expanded, and I would also like to see Ruby Bridges. The “Love your hair inspiration!” and Everything was great. Should definitely expand and make it bigger!” (Visitor)

“What I liked was Ruby Bridges, this place needs to expand. What I wanna see improve is more things in here so I can learn more about this place!” (Visitor)

“National events are shown on a local level. There is lots of interesting information about the history of African Americans. What a great introduction to African American Tucson history. Thanks so much for the introduction.” (Visitor)

“I liked The Quilts! I liked how there were items specifically related to Tucson and AZ.” (Visitor)

“Well thought out and curated exhibits. Jenny was fabulous to work with before, during, and after. She was very knowledgeable, but I would suggest speaking slower and more concisely, especially when speaking to seniors. This museum is an exceptional, hidden gem!” (Visitor)

“The Buffalo Soldiers display was very interesting and inspired me to read and study more about their part in history and in AZ. I also found the coded quilts very interesting and informative. Thank you to Beverely for putting so much work into this much needed museum.” (Visitor)

“Truly impressive presentation of an important, subject. Both the guides are great. (And the hats!) ” (Visitor)

“I love the depth and thoroughness of the exhibits. The passion behind the stories of each piece. I recommend to everyone and plan to be back!” (Visitor)

“Thank you for hosting us this afternoon and giving us a wonderful tour of the museum. I enjoyed learning about the experience of Black people in Arizona, especially in Tucson. Your knowledge and explanation of the exhibits was exceptional and we appreciated you giving us the tour. Thank you again Jenny.” (Visitor)

“Your valuable contributions align perfectly with our commitment to fostering an inclusive and culturally-aware workplace. Thank you once again for your time, expertise, and the enriching experience you provided.” (Visitor)

“Beverely, I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the outstanding presentation you provided for our staff last week. Your insights and engaging approach left a lasting impact on everyone, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for cultural diversity and the history of our community.” (Visitor)

“Learning more about the symbolism of quilting in slavery and native Arizonian African Americans. I really enjoyed learning about a culture that I don’t have personal experience with. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it!” (Visitor)

“I learned that Coach Fred Snowden is the CEO of Food City. I enjoyed learning about the different experiences the African Americans in encountered, understanding that their lifestyles were quite difficult and vary. ” (Visitor)

“Learning the about major African American figures of Arizona is amazing. Many African American figures had to deal with racial profiling and death threats to be successful in their life. ” (Visitor)

“It was such a wonderful experience with Beverely for our students and yes, swimming will become a conversation in future counseling lessons. I am truly grateful for you and the time you spent with the students. I am almost positive, parents were questioned thoroughly yesterday evening.” (Teacher)

“This was an absolutely wonderful experience. Our Athletics Department learned so much, and on our way walking back to offices, everyone agreed that we should visit multiple times a year to continue learning as the museum continues to expand.” (Visitor)

“I want to be mindful of the amazing space you have created and didn’t want to assume. Thank you so much, and I very much look forward to returning to visit the museum again soon.” (Visitor)

“Thank you so very much for having our group at the African American Museum of Southern Arizona. I am so glad we were able to experience the guided tour and the many exhibits you all have worked so hard to curate. Our entire group left saying they had learned so much and what a wonderful experience it was. ” (Visitor)

“I love: How well Beverely told each of the stories and weaved them together. How everything was connected to Southern Arizona and people from Tucson.” (Visitor)

“Our corporate group learned so much from the virtual museum tour highlighting the Black community’s contributions to Arizona. Beverly and her team were fantastic hosts and very knowledgeable. They kept the content engaging to the point where we didn’t realize that 30 minutes was already up. Team members expressed they were looking forward to visiting the museum in-person in the future!” (Visitor)

“While the museum is not large, the information inside is expansive, including not only artifacts, but many QR codes that lead visitors to even more information online. The Elliotts told us that, especially because they are housed on the U of A campus, and surrounded by young people, they were intentional about the use of the latest technology to bring black history into the present. ” (City Office)

“I love the items displayed and the stories, and that we got a personal tour, but it was also available through the headphones or the robot. Lots of options. It was small, I’m sure you could fill a larger space, but we loved it. It was amazing, and we loved hearing all of the stories and history.” (Visitor)

“Thank you for the amazing tour of the African American Museum of Southern Arizona.  It was informative and your team has done an amazing job of procuring stories and artifacts for years of history.  Thank you again!” (Visitor)

“I love all of the stories at your museum! Each exhibit brings historical events and figures to life. Truly an enriching experience. Thank you for creating such an inspiring and educational space!” (Visitor)

“Hi Beverely, I finally made it to your beautiful museum. Thank you for creating such an important space for Tucson. ” (Visitor)

“I visited your museum a few months ago and have been telling everyone here how it’s absolutely worth driving down to Tucson for it. Keep up the fabulous work!” (Librarian)

“I liked when we saw all the artifacts in the museum. Loved the personal ties to Arizona. Would love to see more fine arts content about African American leaders of fine arts in Tucson and Southern Arizona.” (Visitor)

“I wish there was a place to sit or put backpacks! Clubbies for the backpacks will make the place feel more open! And the quilts were outstanding!! ” (Teacher)

“I really liked how students got involved and how we felt very comfortable and connected while at the museum. I liked the campus tour, but not all of the walking since everything was so far away.” (Teacher)

“I think the more promotional materials and takeaways the better. If it can be put in the budget, more goody bags and crown materials. My students still talk about their crown. It feels like an accessible souvenir especially when everything in the bookstore might be out of their pay range.” (Teacher)

“My experience was empowering. Being the only African American Museum in Arizona showed that we are making strides in the world but still have a long way to go. It’s inspiring to learn these brave men and women’s contributions.” (UA student from Dr. Bowens’ class)

“I enjoyed the ease of seeing the exhibits. The atmosphere was healthy and educational. Thank you for showing us the museum! I wish the section on political action and social activism were bigger.” (Visitor)

“Thank YOU, Beverely! It was a very inspirational visit, and I could tell the students loved it. Many, many thanks for your time—and everything you are doing to make the University of Arizona a better place.” (UA Professor)

“I loved how Tucson-focused it was. The guide’s enthusiastic spirit about sharing stories and histories created a great learning environment.” (Visitor)

“I loved the stories section, and I loved everything, hope you get a larger place soon.” (Visitor)

“We also really enjoyed the spotlight on African American Women’s History. The former history majors really enjoyed the information on the Buffalo Soldiers because we didn’t know much about them, not being from the area and the lack of information in the curriculum across the US.” (Visitor)

“Great information and knowledgeable tour guides. Please keep adding information.” (Visitor)

“I asked everybody who attended. Everyone really enjoyed the tour from Beverely and Bob. Beverely was engaging, knowledgeable and funny. We appreciated the personal anecdotes that really accentuated the information provided. ” (Visitor)

“We really enjoyed the personal interviews. I did hear you mention they could be viewed elsewhere like on the website. We’d love to watch them on our own time.” (Visitor)

“The docents/guides were informative, each in their own way. We also felt welcome. I learned a lot about the contributions made by and hardships faced by African Americans in the Southwest in particular and the US in general.” (Visitor)

“The guided tour was definitely worth it. I liked hearing the different stories and getting additional information about each exhibit. I also liked hearing about the museum’s making process. It felt like we were getting behind the scenes tour.” (Visitor)

“This is a great place to learn some of your history, the history of Tucson, and also about the native Tucsonans who contribute to the well-being of Tucson by giving their stories and letting us know about different things that went on. ” (Volunteer Rose)

“I was wrong in doubting this museum’s performance due to its small size. Its impressive collections are worth hours of viewing. This museum helped me learn more about American history and inspired me to preserve my family history as well.” (Volunteer Mingde)

“I love that it was community-curated (or curated from the community); I didn’t know about the Buffalo Soldiers, and I really appreciate oral histories!” (Visitor)

“I look forward to the expansion of this museum. It is very informative.” (Visitor)