Special Topics & Publications
African American History Internship Project

Final Report for the 1987 African American History Internship Project
Submitted by Gloria Smith, Project Coordinator, June 24, 1987

Four interns completed the semester. They all received scholarships from the Arizona Historical Society (AHS) to attend Pima College in the Fall of 1987. Those in the honors program received additional credit for their work and reimbursement from Pima College for the tuition they paid to enroll in AAHIP during the Spring semester.

Within AHS's library, the students searched for photographs of African Americans in various in various albums, working their way from "A" through "Q." They searched for manuscripts, articles, and newspaper or other clippings that deal with African Americans.

Each student contributed to a display that was shown in several locations around Tucson. The themes they chose were:

• "Go Tell It On the Mountain," by Effie Gregory;
• "A History of Black Women in Arizona," by Barbara Robinson;
• "Military History," by Mamie Dorris; and
• "Grownups," by Kenneth Newman.

The display was shown at the Juneteenth celebration and the Black Family Summit at the Holidome Hotel, sponsored by the NAACP and the Tucson Urban League. About 150 people viewed this latter display. The display was also shown at the Gospel Festival at Mt. Olive Church where about 300 people viewed it and at the "A" Mountain Center for four days. Part of the display was aired on channel 13 TV as part of a report on Juneteenth. Showings in other locations will be forthcoming. The display is being reserved by AHS.

The efforts of these students have sparked an interest in African American history. It is hoped that this program will continue so that other African Americans can have the experience of learning research methods and applying their skills to collecting African American history.

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