“Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. “

—-(Former President Barack Obama)

We always enjoy community and partnerships, and we were honored to be invited to the Juneteenth Celebration on Tuesday, June 13, hosted by the City of Tucson’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCD). Museum interns Emma, Melora, and Jenny represented the museum at this event, and thank you, Emma, for the great presentation for AAMSAZ!

We wanted to thank Ernesto Portillo for the invitation to showcase the mission and purpose of AAMSAZ at the event. We appreciate Ann Chanecka, the interim director of HCD, for delivering a wonderful opening speech and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero for her inspiring remarks. Your dedication to the African American community and the official recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday contribute to the remembrance of our country’s progress for future generations.

During the event, Dr. Sanchez enlightened us with both heartbreaking and incredibly joyous facts about the experiences of African Americans. Her book The Meals and Memoirs, is a collection of African American Stories and Recipes from Southern Arizonans (including our ED Beverely Elliott). The book is Available on Amazon.com. You will love it and use it!

Please visit our website to watch the preserved Oral History of Dr. Sanchez and learn more about her important contributions to our understanding of African American history.