An Oral History Project Conducted by John Robert Lewis Leader Kadar Hamilton
Project Description
This oral history tells the story of Ms. Beverly Elliott, the founder of Arizona’s first African American museum. She was inspired by her grandson Jody to open the museum to share the rich history of Tucson and the Midwest. Beverly Elliott takes pride in uncovering hidden and almost forgotten truths in our history. She also has a history in nonviolence, she participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr. protest in Arizona in 1983. Beverly, peacefully but actively participated in the protesting that eventually resulted in Arizona passing the petition and now observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January in the state of Arizona. She also had an active role in the recent victory and passing of the Crown act, preventing companies from discriminating against people due to their hair style. She leveraged the governing board from the African American Museum of Southern Arizona as well as several other networks, such as Links and STEM programs she helped establish, to gain support. The concept of my oral history project came to me after hosting a group from the Black Excellence Employee Resource Group at Raytheon Technologies at the African American Museum of Southern Arizona.
Oral History Interview with Beverly Elliot - xx/xx/2023 (date)
Presentation Slides
Presentation Recording