PHOENIX — The Carver Museum and Cultural Center in South Phoenix will host its inaugural Juneteenth celebration, highlighting the importance of preserving African American History and culture in Arizona.
There’s a new exhibit that celebrates freedom, pride, and progress, that will debut just in time for the Juneteenth holiday.
When you walk through the halls of the Carver Museum, you can feel the history of the nearly 100-year-old building. But you can also hear the stories of triumph and adversity.
Brenda Thomson serves as the Board President of the museum; she is passionate about sharing the untold stories of America’s history.
“Many people in Arizona have never heard of the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center. And I think that they need to know about it, I think it’s a really important place,” Thomason said.
She says all people, not just Black people, should know about the contributions of African Americans not just in Arizona but to the U.S.
Special exhibits like the Monarch Room and the Faces of Us exhibit showcase the priceless artifacts that capture a rich diversity and deep sense of pride.
“You’ll see literally Barbie dolls that have Katherine Johnson, who helped them land on the moon from NASA, you’ll see Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, and John Michel Basquiat” explained Thomson.
Yadi Fajardo, Marketing Director, for the Carver Museum said things have slowed down since the pandemic when the museum was only open for group tours.
“This is an exciting opportunity to welcome the community back to Carver,” said Fajardo. “From arts and crafts for kids, storytelling, drumming workshops, where you get to try out drumming for yourself, as well as performances from a variety of local acts.”
A new exhibit is the latest experience at Carver Museum: The Jubilee Journey-Celebrating Freedom and Resilience in Arizona.
“The number one question we would always get when we do have people here doing tours is they want to know exactly what Phoenix's role was in the Civil Rights journey, and in the route for social justice here. So, we wanted to take the time to really showcase what that history is, highlight the trials and tribulations,” said Fajardo.
Museumgoers will see other civil rights leaders, teachers, principals, and businesspeople. Thomson says it’s not just African Americans but people who shaped human and civil rights of all colors.
“The first thing you’ll see when you walk in is another wall wrap that is a photograph of Eastlake Park, and its Juneteenth. So literally, those pictures are people at a Juneteenth Picnic in the 1970’s,” said Thomson.
The museum is now a historical part of the community.
In 1926, Carver High School was established during what’s said to be the darker history of America, the school was created to be a safe place for Black children to receive an incredible education.
Thomson said, “One of the principals made sure the teachers that taught at Carver all had master’s degrees. That was not required of teachers anywhere else in Arizona.
There’s been a lot of work done to preserve the legacy of the high school, which Thomson, says is a labor of love.
“We've made $250,000 worth of improvements over the last three years. We hope and imagine it (Carver Museum and Cultural Center) to be in the future, which is a full-on arts, business and educational campus. Not just a building, but a place where we preserve artifacts and a history but also how we teach people to draft build designed, carpentry computer,” she said.
The museum represents a journey worth celebrating and a legacy worth fighting for.
Thomson added, “We didn't arrive at this place on our own, we arrived at this place because of the contributions of all the people that came before us.”
The museum and its exhibits will be open to the public during Carver’s Juneteenth Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 15, 2024. To visit the museum after the festival, group tours must be scheduled in advance. For more information, visit carveraz.org.
