By the Time They Came to Phoenix:  African American Cotton Pickers in Arizona

Featuring a documentary that tells the stories of early African American cotton pickers in El Mirage and in other regions of Arizona, this presentation explores the lives of African Americans who came to the cotton fields from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma during the 1940s through the 1960s.  These individuals made significant cultural, historical, and economic contributions to life in Arizona, from founding churches to serving as civic and social leaders.  Notable families include the Cutrights, Marshalls, and Dunbars.

Akua Duku Anokye, Associate Director of SHArCS and Associate Professor of Africana Language, Literature, and Culture in Arizona State University’s New College, is past chair of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC), and co-chair of the College Board’s Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Development Committee.  Anokye’s research centers on African Diaspora orality and literacy practices, folklore, and oral history focusing on Ghanaian culture, religion, storytelling, and dance. Her work in oral history on community mothers has led to the production of several documentaries on African American women activists including Jean and Betty Fairfax, and Judge Jean Williams in Arizona.