Black History in the Borderlands

The materials located on this page can be found at the Arizona Historical Society Tucson location, an institution separate from the University of Arizona. There you can find manuscript materials, photographs, oral histories and books that highlight Black life in the U.S./Mexico borderlands. 

Archival Collections | Books and Other Resources

African American History Internship Project (MS 1318)

Contains the work of the African American History Internship Project which was dedicated to documenting the contributions of Black Americans in Tucson history. This collection includes oral histories and photographs of Black residents, and histories of Dunbar School, aviation, churches, and early settlers. 

Benjamin McKinney papers (MS 0901)

Contains correspondence, manuscripts, speeches, reports, and documents of former U.S. Marshall Benjamin McKinney. This collection includes a manuscript featuring a study of the Black community in 1940s Tucson. 

Lott Brockman collection (MS 1338)

Contains the military records of Lott Brockman, a Black American soldier who served in the 24th and 27th infantry regiments in the United States Army. 

Mary Euell Wright collection (currently unprocessed)

Contains the materials of Black civic leader Mary Euell Wright. This collection includes records about Black achievements from materials like newspaper articles, pamphlets, and convention brochures. 

Robert F. Palmquist writings (MS 1068)

Contains typescripts of articles written by Robert Palmquist that were used for UA history courses. This collection contains a paper about Buffalo soldiers. 

South Park Avenue Improvement documentation (MS 1265)

Contains records of the South Park Avenue Improvement Project that was part of the Federal Transit Administration's Liveable Communities Initiative. This collection includes project plans, artistic aspects of community improvements, and oral histories with neighborhood residents, many of which were Black Americans. 

Tucson Commission on Human Relations papers, 1956 - 1968 (MS 1369)

Contains materials related to various social group relations, specifically civil rights issues. 

Tucson Committee for Interracial Understanding records, 1943 - 1954 (MS 904)

Contains correspondence, clippings, and committee minutes for the Tucson Committee for Interracial Understanding. These materials document their efforts to combat discrimination in Arizona. 

Wiley Box papers, 1837 - 1913 (MS 977)

Contains the records of Wiley Box who is considered to be the first Black pioneer in Tucson. 

Ayres Newspaper Index

Collection contains various Arizona newspapers, many of which contain articles about Black citizens, businesses, and events. 

Oral Histories

AHS Tucson contains many oral histories and their transcriptions, many of which are those of Black Arizona residents. 

Photographs

AHS Tucson contains many photographs of Black people, businesses, and events in Arizona, some of which can be viewed as part of the Arizona Memory Project's Tucson Territorial Pioneer Project. For information about specific photographs, please contact AHS Tucson directly.