University of Arizona

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Black History Month 2023

Black History Month 2023

In celebration of Black History Month, we are showcasing historical images from our archives.

Before 1909, schools in Arizona were not segregated by race; however, that year a law was passed mandating racial segregation for the first eight years of a child's schooling.

The Tucson School District soon created a Black school, known as the Paul Lawrence Dunbar School, which quickly became an important center for the local community. This photo shows Dunbar students during the 1928 Armistice Day parade.

You can view photos like this one in the Arizona, Southwestern, and Borderlands Photographic Collection at Special Collections, as well as explore other histories of Tucson’s first Black school in various other collections.

“The History of the Dunbar Pavilion.” The Dunbar Pavilion. Accessed January 23, 2023

AZSWB, Drawer 42, Folder 3

Curated by Zoe Harrison, UAL Student Employee.

Please note: All images will be posted on our social media accounts: TwitterInstagram and Facebook.

Black and white photograph of Dunbar School students on a parade float for Armistice Day, 1928.