Legacy Stories

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Harriet Tubman was born a slave in 1821 near the eastern shore of Maryland. When she heard that her deceased master’s property would be sold she escaped to freedom in Pennsylvania. When she discovered what it was to be free, she wanted to help other people to freedom. She knew that her efforts would require money and therefore she worked part-time jobs until she had enough money for her first mission. She traveled to Baltimore and rescued her sister and her two children. She made at least fifteen trips to the south and lead at least 200 people to freedom.

All Harriet Tubman’s trips were successful because she was a master in planning the strategy of each of her escape operations. No detail was missed by her. She planned for food, clothing, train tickets and forged passes. She even included sedatives for crying babies. She never lost a passenger. On at least one occasion, she threatened to shoot a passenger who had second thoughts about escaping. The overnight stops on what came to be know as the Underground Railroad were a network of homes and churches. The churches raised money to assist Tubman’s efforts.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Harriet Tubman supported the war effort as a nurse, a cook and a scout for the Union Army. Whatever she did, her services were always welcome. Tubman received official commendations from numerous Union Army officers. It is said that no officer failed to tip his hat when he saw her. Despite her efforts for the war, she received no veterans benefits of her own.

Her reputation for freeing slaves was known throughout the slave community. She was often compared to Moses who led the Israelites of the Bible to freedom. Her contemporaries referred to her as a heroine, saying “her likes it is probable was never known before or since.”

Throughout her life Harriet Tubman maintained an interest in the welfare of others. She raised money for schools, former slaves, destitute children and assisted the sick and the disabled. Toward the end of her life Harriet Tubman worked to establish a home for the elderly. She passed away in 1913 in the “Harriet Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Colored People.”

The singer Paul Robeson would sing the spiritual “Go Down Moses” and explain that it was a protest song of slaves who had Harriet Tubman in mind.

Go down Moses, Way down in Egypt land, Tell ole pharaoh, Let my people go.

Legacy Stories

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Recorded by AAMSAZ

Elgie Mike Batteau was an educator who was courageous with humility. She was an advocate for SOCIAL JUSTICE before that term was used, but she felt responsible for society. Mrs. Batteau was a University of Arizona graduate who integrated the U of A student union swimming pools and moved here and stayed with her Aunt Rosa (Barnes), who moved to Tucson in 1916.

She taught at the Dunbar School and then moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in the early 1940s, where she taught at the Phoenix Union Colored High School.

This high school was built specifically for African American children and opened as a segregated school for high school students in 1926. Mrs. Batteau was concerned about the school’s name and wanted the children to have pride in their school and pushed for the school to be named George Washington Carver High School after the scholar, scientist and educator.

Black students at the University of Arizona have developed an academic honor society “The Elgie Batteau Honor Society.” Mrs. Batteau and her husband Matthew were of strong faith and dedicated long service to Prince Chapel A.M.E. Church in Tucson and Tanner Chapel A.M.E. Church in Phoenix. In addition they tutored and were mentors for many of their former students as many became teachers following in their footsteps. They held a Day Camp where they taught math, reading, language skills, and shop. This Day Camp included lunch and always Mr. Batteau’s famous Iced Mint Tea!

Legacy Stories

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Recorded by AAMSAZ

CR Patterson owned the largest Black-Owned Business in the world in 1900. He and his wife had six children. One of CR Patterson’s sons Fredrick Douglas Patterson (1871 to 1932) was athletic and was Butch Patterson’s grandfather. Butch has been a Tucsonan for over 40 years. Fredrick and his younger brother Samuel worked for their father in his business. Patterson and Sons was located on Washington Street in Greenfield, Ohio, and the factory was about 50,000 square feet and housed in 2 buildings. These buildings are where buggies, buses, and autos were made, along with a repair shop.

CR Patterson was one of the wealthiest people in the town, (earning around $150,000 in the early 1900’s which is equivalent to $2,445,631.58 in 2022). He and his family, children, and grandchildren all lived in a large home. He and his family were highly respected and involved in the AME Church and the community.

Frederick Douglass Patterson attended Ohio State University from 1891 – 1893 and was the first Black to integrate the football and baseball teams. Frederick joined the company in 1898, and was the driving force behind the development of the automobile manufacturing that came to fruition on September 23, 1915 as the first car rolled off the assembly line.

Legacy Stories

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Icon Photos By Joe Jackson
Narration by Bob Elliott

Reserve a court to play basketball or pickle ball.   The main contact for groups must leave a phone number and/or an email.  Memberships are available or daily fees are required for access. Everyone must wear a mask.  Reserve a room for an event, a classroom or meeting room and bring the kids to play on the playground.

Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Weekends: Closed Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays.

Legacy Stories

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Video production by Ken Roth Associates.

Legacy Stories

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Tony Dungy, who didn’t know his father was a Tuskegee Airman, “and I was like what?”

Wilbur Dungy may not have lived in Southern Arizona but his famous son Tony Dungy has family and friends in Tucson and has traveled here often.  Tony Dungy is a NBC sports analyst, was a NFL player, and was a NFL Head Coach for 13 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts. In 2006 Tony became the first NFL African American Head Coach to win a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Video courtesy of All Pro Dad

Edited by the African American Museum of Southern Arizona

Wilbur Dungy, Tony’s father graduated from Jackson High School in Jackson, Michigan in 1943.  After graduation he served in the segregated U.S. Army during World War II. Following the war Wilbur Dungy attended Jackson Community College (JCC) and then went to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan. In 1952 Wilbur returned to JCC as a teacher. Wilbur Dungy was a biology professor for more than 30 years at Jackson Community College. He was the first Black instructor at this college back in 1953. Dungy earned a doctorate in 1967 but asked people not to call him “doctor.” That would be too showy.

Descendants were aware Dungy served in the U.S. Army; however, his son Tony and his siblings discovered their father was part of the Famed Tuskegee Airmen at his celebration of life.