(upbeat music) - Coming up in the next hour of local news on Arizona PBS, a special edition of Arizona Horizon featuring conversations with leaders in the State's black community.

That's followed later in the hour by Cronkite News and Break It Down.

It's all ahead in the next hour on Arizona PBS.

- [Narrator] This hour of local news is made possible by contributions from the friends of PBS, members of your PBS station.

Thank you.

- Good evening and welcome to this special edition of Arizona Horizon.

I'm Ted Simons.

Tonight, we revisit the series of discussions we had with local leaders in the African American community in honor of black history month.

We begin with two local political leaders, State representative Reginald Bolding, and former state lawmaker, Cloves Campbell, Jr. We heard their personal stories including among other things what got them into politics.

And gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us here.

This is gonna be a specials, it's black history month.

I wanna get some leaders in the community on to talk about themselves, what black history month means to them.

Representative Bolding, we'll start with you.

What does this month mean to you?

- You know, this month is all about making sure that we not only honor those who paved the way before us but we celebrate the work that's currently happening.

Black history month is something that it allows our country, it allows our people and allows the world to know the contributions that black people have made.

And is something that we celebrate all year long but it's something that I think is important to pause and acknowledge for many people across the world - Cloves what does this month mean to you?

- I would echo a lot of the things that representative Bolding said but you know, it also just gives you a chance to reflect on some of the history.

Some of the things that look for some of the smaller things that we don't see all the time in black history, look for some of the contributions from our African-American heroes and sheroes and to make sure that other people can take a chance and take an opportunity to look at some of the black history and appreciate that it's not just black history, but it's American history.

- And this is our opportunity to take a closer look at both of you guys.

And we'll start with Representative Bolding.

You're from the Midwest, correct?

What brought you here to Arizona?

- So education brought me here.

You know, I was on my way to law school and I wanted to give back in some way, you know, I was part of a program called Teach for America.

I wanted to be a teacher and I wanted to definitely make an impact in some place that was in the Southwest and Phoenix was the perfect place.

And you know, my first job was a teacher at Percy L. Julian in South Phoenix, a school that many people in the black community know about.

So education brought me here and education keeps me here.

- And Cloves Campbell, Jr.

I think the junior says everything for you, you were born here?

- Absolutely, Reggie talk, Representative Bolding talks about the fact that he taught a Julian School, that was grade school that I actually went to in Phoenix.

So when you talk about the history of South Phoenix, and if you talk about the history of blacks in Phoenix, it all starts at the Roosevelt School District Level.

- And Cloves talk more about being raised in South Phoenix what it was like then, what it's like now, advances, maybe things that still need to be improved?

- Well, South Phoenix was a community of African-American people.

At that time, only black people couldn't live North of Washington and Van Buren street so we had to make sure that we knew everybody in the community.

And at that time South Phoenix had it's heart icons like my dad, Reverend Brooks, Reverend black, Travis Williams, and so on.

So there was a lot of community, a lot of good feeling.

And we've seen Phoenix grow from this time now.

- And I wanna get to your dad in a second here but to representative Bolding back to you you come out here, Teach for America you're teaching at the school, you get into politics.

How did that happen?

- You know, for me, one of the things that I saw at at Julian was that we had students with all of the knowledge and all the skills in the world.

And, and I truly know that and I believe the world knows that but it was two things that they lacked, which was access and opportunity, our kids, they just didn't know people.

So it made it more difficult for them to have an opportunity to get that, that job you know, many times it's not about what you know but who, you know, and for me, you know, recognizing that I wanted to provide an opportunity to for them to be able to reach out to others.

And one way was to make connections with other people in community.

That was one thing that inspired me.

The other was the fact of the matter is that when you, you know, drive, you know two or three miles from our, our, in front of the school I was teaching in, Phoenix looked entirely different.

24th street and Broadway and 24th street in Camelback is a totally different world for our kids.

And, you know, we had a revolving door of substitute teachers.

We didn't have the resources that we needed for our students.

And that was because of systemic issues taking place at the State Capitol, not because of the kids or the or their parents or, or what they wanted to do in order to thrive.

It was an education system that just wasn't providing the resources that they needed to and the best place to access that was at the state Capitol - And Cloves, you got involved in politics as well, You and your father.

The Arizona Informant is very important newspaper very important source of information Was politics, was it almost expected of you?

- I think it was, eventually.

I know for a long time I worked in a lot of different campaigns and things from Art Hamilton, Calvin Goode to Cody Williams.

And always obviously on my dad's campaign, but I didn't think about it until unfortunately after he passed away.

And at that time, a lot of people said, "Why don't you get involved?"

I've been involved in a lot of different things in the community but politics at that level that we're talking about now, I hadn't considered, but once I did it was a good experience.

I'm glad that I did it.

- Was it a good experience?

What, what did you experience down there as not maybe if not the lone black lawmaker certainly one of the very few - Well, you know, it was an opportunity to see and talk with people and understand how people are different but at the same time, there's the same people.

And when you look at what you do with people across the aisle from you and how you work together to get things done.

Fortunately at the time I was there it was a really close ratio of Democrats to Republicans.

So we had to work together.

And as, as it's happening, and lately there's been a lot of changes going on, but I'm sure that what I learned was something that really helps me out now as a businessman as well.

- Last question, and this is for both of you now.

The black history month, here we're getting to know you better.

It was a great conversation here, but last question.

Cloves we'll start with you.

Being a black man in Arizona, what does that mean to you?

- Wow, that's a, that's a very heavy correlation.

When you look, think about being black in Arizona, you think about the fact that most people outside of Arizona don't think there are black people here.

And so when you, when you look at that opportunity to be a black person and to have some type of influence in a state that is really looked upon as the non-black community, it's a, it's a really big deal.

I think that being black in Arizona also means in our positions that we have to carry ourselves a certain way.

We have to make sure that our communities understand what we're trying to do to assist our communities and what they need.

And also the fact that we have to make sure we continue to push and teach black history, not just in the month of February but in every month throughout the entire year.

- And representative Bolding we'll close out with you.

Black man in Arizona, what does it mean to you?

- Yeah, I mean, it, it, it means everything to me.

And the fact is as a, as a black man, not only in Arizona but in this country, there's multiple things that we're competing with.

Not only, you know, perceptions that people have toward black men, but also the us making sure that we wanna set an example for our families and those who people come in contact with.

And I think that for me, it's a lot of pride being a black man here in this country.

We've seen so many contributions happen through black men and women in this country.

And we have the ability to extend the great work that is always, that has already happened.

And I look at someone like, you know, Cloves Campbell who's a publisher of a newspaper and continues to provide opportunities and continue in a legacy that his father had started.

That's huge.

And my hope is to continue to do that for those that come behind me.

- State representative, Reginald Bolding, and Cloves Campbell Jr. Gentlemen, this was a great discussion.

Thank you both so much.

We certainly appreciate it.

- Thank you for having us.

- Up next, on this special edition of Arizona Horizon we hear from women leaders in the black community.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] We want to hear from you, submit your questions, comments, and concerns via email at arizonahorizon@asu.edu.

- Black women have had and continue to have a big impact in Arizona history.

Last month, we spoke with former state lawmaker Leah Landrum Taylor, and Chanel Bragg, associate artistic director of the Arizona theater company about what they see as the legacy of black women in the State.

And thank you both for being here.

This is going to be very interesting.

I can just tell because you're both great guests.

You've been on the program before.

Good friends with the program.

Leah, we'll start with you black history month.

What does it mean to you?

- Well, it's just that, it's history and it's an opportunity to take a walk through the lives of individuals that have contributed to this State, to this country, to the to the nation in general.

And so to look at what the, as, as we walk through, what what, what were some of the things that African-Americans contributed?

What were some of the things that African-Americans added value to?

What were some of the things that African-Americans truly celebrate?

This is that time for individuals to be able to come and to embrace the culture of the African-American community - Chanel, black history month, what does it mean to you?

- I completely agree with Leah.

Personally, I feel like it's an opportunity for us to give tribute and to pay honor to the unsung heroes of our nation's history.

There's a lot of artists and inventors and different people that have literally built the nation on our backs.

And I do think that to have a month to actually recognize that and to give honor to that is, is very beautiful.

- And for this month, we're talking to and speaking with leaders of a black community here in Arizona just to get some personal aspects of stories.

And Leah, we'll start with you, Harvard educated.

Talk to us about your background.

- Well, my background, I'm a native here.

I'm a third generation native here in Arizona and I had an opportunity to starting back even from high school.

I attended Xavier college prep and then went on to Arizona state university and received my bachelor's and master's degree, and did have an opportunity to become a Harvard fellow as well as a Rodel fellow.

And so looking at all of that, and when you talk about background and what that all did, all of that is as a result of the community that truly supported me and always made sure that I had a place here in this community.

So that, that, that makes a huge difference.

- Yeah.

That death grounding does make a difference.

Doesn't it?

- Oh, it does.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

Chanel, talk to us about your back.

You're an Arizona native as well, correct.

True.

- I am.

That's why I was so excited as fascinating to learn about Leah as well.

I'm a second generation native Arizonan and I take great pride that I grew up in South Phoenix.

And then we went on to live on the West side of Phoenix.

I do feel like I'm pretty well-rounded of all the different areas of Arizona.

I graduated from Cortez high school.

I decided to go to school in state.

So I, my Alma mater is Northern Arizona University.

And then I also obtained my master's degree at Western International University at a location here in Phoenix.

So a deeply rooted local girl, and as an artist too I've really built my home here instead of moving to New York and, and doing the grind there.

I decided that it'd be great for me to invest in home and in creating more endeavors here for other artists of color as well.

- And Leah, again you Rose to the, I think the first black woman to lead the democratic caucus there at the state legislature but you lost that position.

And there was some, there was some upset all around there.

Did you find that being a black woman, check that.

How did being a black woman affect what you could do and what you couldn't do at the state legislature?

- Well, in my mind and how I was raised that nothing was impossible.

You're, you're going to come across various hurdles.

And so what you do is you just sprint across those hurdles and keep moving.

One of the things that we did was we established our African-American commission, and that was something where I was the founder of that various entity.

That's still running to this day.

We have a great director, that's, that's taken place with that.

That's moving it forward and working on the various areas and interests that have a direct impact on the African-American community.

As a matter of fact, we just recently last week celebrated our 19th annual African-American legislative day at at the capital though it was virtual this year but we still were able to move forward with that and going over the various issues like education, the educational disparities, health disparities and we're looking at, even at the independent bid right now as well as economic development and the list goes on and on.

Nothing stopped us from going forward to talk about these things that are extremely important.

So now having that African-American commission that is something that is in statute in law and will continue to move forward.

- And speaking of nothing stopping you, Chanel, as far as the arts are concerned, do you sense, are there roadblocks, are there speed bumps right now or is this an open field and you're ready to go?

- You know, I'm glad that you asked and kind of piggyback off of what Leah was saying.

It's sometimes it takes a person to see that there's a need and to create something.

I founded the United colors of Arizona theater which is an organization that is socially justice based in theater.

Our entire point is to make the theater landscape more equitable here.

I want it to provide an opportunity for all BiPOC artists to feel like they could step into these theaters and also be seen and I think that that work is vital.

So in terms of some things to overcome I think since our inception in 2016, we've been doing just that.

Allowing theaters to realize that we are here, we are within the community and so let's influence those auditions.

Let's allow more artists to be present.

You can even see it reflected in the seasons at the different various theaters from professional to community that are now doing so much more work with us in it, because now they can see that there's a way and that's what you have to do.

To create a platform an opportunity for people to say, "Oh, okay, they're here," and then create the opportunities outside of that.

- All right.

The last question here now, for both of you.

Leah, we'll start with you.

What does being a black woman in Arizona mean to you?

- A black woman in Arizona?

So what does that mean to me, to me it truly means opportunities.

It means chances where you can be able to set a path and lay groundwork for others to be able to follow.

Where I've been able to follow in various footsteps and now continuing to lay that path.

So when you think about Arizona, it's a lot of trailblazers that have hit this state.

And so when you, with that whole spirit of that trailblazing spirit there are vast opportunities for African-Americans.

And certainly when you think about being an African-American woman in this state, it's nothing that again that can stop you.

It's not a, it's not a, it's not a brick wall it's but it's definitely a trailblazing path.

That's how I see.

- And Chanel to you being a black woman in Arizona what does it mean to you?

- I think stepping into this position specifically with Arizona theater company, as their associate artistic director in the history of the 54 years that institution has been in existence, there hasn't been a black woman in senior management.

And I think that that is a pivotable moment of where we are at this time as a nation and definitely locally in Arizona.

I think you're going to see a lot more African-American representation and a lot of the different theaters or different businesses, because there is a huge lack of having us in those positions.

And I think that now is the time for that to be a shift and a change.

And I think Arizona is a perfect place being the fifth largest city in the nation.

Now they can be, hopefully we can be a leader in our nation as recognizing that there is a need for us to have more representation and following suit - Chanel Bragg, Leah Landrum Taylor, thank you both so very much.

Great conversation.

We appreciate it - You too - Thank you.

- [Narrator] When you want to be more connected, friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, watch us online.

(upbeat music) - And now we focus on the African American arts community in Arizona.

We spoke with artists, Antoinette Cauley and Elizabeth Montgomery, arts and culture reporter for the Arizona Republic about the opportunities for black artists in the state.

And thank you both for joining us.

This is going to be fun.

Elizabeth, we'll start with you.

Black history month.

What does it mean to you?

- Black history month is something I always look forward to every year.

I mean, black history month is every day for me but I appreciate this month because it gives us a chance to really deep dive into what black history is and you know, what black future is at the same time.

So I love being able to kind of put a highlight on my culture and just kind of just dive into it and feel it for a whole month.

So that's why I'm excited.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

Antoinette, as far as black history month, what's it mean to you?

- So similarly to what Elizabeth said like black history is year round for me but I think this month is a special time for us to really highlight outside of our community, the importance of the people in our community to our society, to the world, really.

So I think it's just a great, it's just a time of celebration and honor, you know, our ancestors and everyone who laid the groundwork for, for women like us, people like us to be doing what we're doing today.

- And Antoinette's sticking with you.

What you're doing today is arts and you're doing it on a very high level.

Raised, born and raised in Mesa.

Correct?

What got you into arts?

- No.

I born and raised in Phoenix actually.

And I would say what got me into art.

Oh, that's the question.

My mom's family was very crafty and I always compare them to like Martha Stewart kind of crafty.

And every summer, I would spend the summer with my aunt and she had a different art project for us every day.

And so that was essentially what got me into the arts.

And then it just, it grew into like this escape for me as a kid to just get away from the turmoil and the chaos of like the day-to-day life and I just stuck with it.

It became like an obsession.

And so now I'm halfway across the world still pursuing it.

- Yeah.

You're in Germany right now joining us.

When did you know you were good at this?

When did you realize this is something I'm really good at?

- Oh man, I had to be like 14 or 15.

I felt like I had something really special and that if I quit, it would be doing like a disservice to the people I was meant to inspire.

And I don't think I really knew what that meant at that age but I'm seeing that now.

Like I'm seeing it every day in the messages that I get and the people reaching out me and the impact that I've been able to create in Phoenix and beyond.

So yeah, really young - Elizabeth journalism, was that something you always wanted to do?

- I kind of landed in journalism.

I, long story short, I was homeless for about three years living in Atlanta, Georgia and I was kind of sleeping in my car and I know I wanted to do something with writing and I would pick this parking lot that was a at the Atlanta voice newspaper out there in Georgia.

And I was sleeping in that parking lot and I really wanted to be in the building.

So I, you know, started internship there and was working like all week getting paid maybe $25 a week at the, at the start of this.

And it really kind of just took off from there.

I went to the Atlanta Journal Constitution where I was an intern as well, and then small papers here and there and ended up in North Carolina.

And just now I'm in Phoenix- - Yeah.

- but journalism kind of picked me, I think.

- James Baldwin wrote a lot of things, said a lot of things but you included a quote on this mural, "Not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

Why James Baldwin, why this massive mural?

What, nine stories tall here in downtown Phoenix.

Why that quote?

- Oh man, it was James Baldwin because it needed to be James Baldwin for sure.

Actually had taken a trip to Paris in January, 2020, right before the pandemic and learned about him on this black Parisian history tour.

And I was like, why don't they teach us about him in school?

Right.

So when the black lives matter, protest started happening, that's a movement that has been around for a while now.

But once this wave of kind of awakening happened, my friend, Jason Harvey, who owns the building, asked me to create a mural and we threw names back and forth and I just felt like James Baldwin, he sort of like embodied so many different communities that were important to touch on because he was, you know, not only was he a black man, but he was queer, you know, he was an artists, but he was an author.

So we're reaching so many different like demographics all in one.

And that quote specifically, I felt like 100% applied to what was happening in the country at that moment.

But it also applies to any person with anything that they're going through.

So yeah, that was, it needed to be him hands down - Last question for both of you and we're kind of running out of time here, but I want to get this in here.

And Elizabeth we'll stick with you.

What does being a black woman in Arizona mean to you?

- That's a good question.

Being a black woman in Arizona just means there is a lot of opportunity for things to do but it's also a lot of work that needs to be done.

And I'm just out here as a black woman, as a journalist just trying to make sure that black voices get heard and that voices like me, we are listening and hearing them and just trying to make sure that my culture is celebrated and highlighted and I'm getting it in.

It I'm contributing anything I can to towards that as well.

So it's a lot, it's a big, big shoes to fill.

- Yes.

I would imagine.

And Antoinette being a black woman in Arizona, what does it mean to you?

- Oh man.

I can say that being a black woman in general is such a powerful thing and being a black woman in Arizona I feel like it all feel very powerful.

You don't look like necessarily most people you'll see in Arizona so you stand out.

I think it's a chance to just shine, I guess and be yourself and kind of, for me personally kind of like be a trendsetter or a leader in ways, you know, if I wasn't a black woman maybe I wouldn't stand out as much, I dunno.

So yeah.

I definitely just think that there's power in it.

- Well, we certainly thank you both.

This was a great conversation.

We love doing this series.

Antoinette Cauley and Elizabeth Montgomery, thank you again, both of you for joining us.

Take care and be safe out there.

- Thank you.

- Yes.

Thank you.

- And that is it for now.

- And that is it for now.

- And that is it for now.

I'm Ted Simons.

Thank you so much for joining us on this special edition of Arizona horizon.

You have a great evening.

(upbeat music)