TUCSON, AZ — As ABC15 honors Black History Month, we are taking you inside the African American Museum of Southern Arizona, located on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson.
To say Bob and Beverly Elliott have been busy since the museum opened in January 2023 is an understatement! As co-founders of the museum, the last several years have been filled with planning the opening, collecting artifacts, and bringing these exhibits to life — all with the mission of making sure we never forget and can celebrate the many achievements of the Black community in Arizona and beyond.
ABC15's Nick Ciletti recently went down to Tucson to check it out.
Sports, fashion, social justice, service to the country — all of it is highlighted under one roof.
"There is a lot here!" explains Bob Elliott, co-founder of the museum.
If you know Wildcats Basketball, you are familiar with the name Bob Elliott! Elliott played at U of A during a successful run in the 1970s, under the trailblazing Coach Fred Snowden.
Elliott says although at the time, he never had opening a museum on his radar, being part of a team has helped with his present-day mission, especially when it comes to working with his wife.
"It’s a matter of using your talents and pushing them together," Elliott explains.
When you enter the museum in the U of A Student Union, it immediately feels like you have entered a sacred vault of history.
"Sitting in a different part of the museum, you get a different vibe," explains Elliott.
From videos highlighting the Tuskegee Airmen, actual uniforms worn by Buffalo Soldiers - to the museum's interactive website, Elliott's goal was to reach anyone hungry for history, whether it's online or on campus.
"You can feel the years and the decades and the centuries of what people lived and how they lived."
And to think - it all came together through a surprising source!
Elliott says his grandson, Jody was in first grade at the time and asked him and his wife where the museum dedicated to African American history was in Arizona.
"Where is the place where I can go in Arizona and see people that look like me? And we didn't know."
That's because at the time - such a place did not exist yet.
"Our grandson Jody said, 'You need to start one and I will help,'"
Little by little, Elliott's collection of artifacts began to blossom, getting donations from people all over the state - sometimes in surprising ways!
Elliott also tells the story of a woman who lives in Peoria who found a manuscript written by a relative who was a former slave. The Museum decided to turn it into a moving audio exhibit
"You can’t change the past. It’s about putting something together in the present that will be around in the future."
And thanks to Bob, Beverly, and Jody - that will be possible for generations to come!
The museum is free to attend. If you'd like more information on hours or how to donate, click here.
