Being Human in the Anthropocene with Matthew Goodwin

Copper Queen Library 6 Main St., Bisbee, AZ, United States

The Anthropocene is the name scientists have proposed for the geological epoch that we are currently in, when humans have become a significant driving force shaping Earth’s climate, ecosystems, and biodiversity. We may now be on the cusp of a revolution in computing and robotics in an era of artificial intelligence that raises a question: […]

Jerome – Too Stuborn to Die – How the town survived numerous “near-death” experiences with Jay Mark

Sedona Public Library 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ, United States

Numerous fires, landslides, floods, labor strikes, polluted air, epidemics, Depression, recessions, financial collapse, one adversity after another. Any one of these might spell the end of a lesser community. But, in Arizona, one town survived these “near-death” experiences, and more; yet managed to survive. Some might even say, “thrive.” This presentation looks at the numerous […]

LGBT+: A History in Arizona with Marshall Shore

Tohono Chul Park 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson, AZ, United States

Arizona’s history of the LGBT+ community begins long before Arizona was a state with the Native American belief of two-spirits and continues through to the seismic shift of Civil Union/ Marriage Equality. There are some surprises along the way such as artists and Arizona connections to Warhol, Keith Haring, and those muscle magazines by George […]

Dark Skies Over Arizona with Kevin Schindler

Coolidge Public Library 160 W. Central Avenue, Coolidge, AZ, United States

There’s nothing like standing under a dark, star-spangled night sky to quiet the mind and reduce stress, share an experience of awe with family and friends, and to inspire creative thoughts. Yet such dark skies are a disappearing resource, with only 20% of the world living in a place where the center of our Milky […]

Archaeology’s Deep Time Perspective on Environment and Social Sustainability with Allen Dart

Springerville Heritage Center 418 E. Main Stret, Springerville, AZ, United States

The deep time perspective that archaeology, geology, and related disciplines provide about natural hazards, environmental change, and societal development is often ignored when societies today make decisions affecting social sustainability and human safety. Studies of ancient peoples and natural events can help modern society deal with problems of environmental and social change, overpopulation, and sustainability. […]

Black Wall Street: Then and Now with Tamika Sanders

Mesa Public Libraries - Main Branch - Saguaro Room --- 64 E. 1st St., Mesa, AZ, 85201 64 E. 1st Street, Mesa, AZ, United States

Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood district was coined “Black Wall Street” because it was a thriving African American community that boosted hospitals, churches, shopping centers, schools, and banks. But all that changed, on May 31, 1921, when an angry mob stormed the town and burned everything to the ground. This presentation will explore what made Black Wall […]

Coded Messages and Songs of the Underground Railroad with Tamika Sanders

Queen Creek Library 21802 South Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, United States

Communication and secrecy were key to the successful operation of the Underground Railroad. Safety was more important than quickness. Both fugitive slaves and members of the Underground Railroad learned to code and decode hidden messages, and to disguise signs to avoid capture. There were code names for towns on the routes and code numbers for […]

Arizona Water Use from Prehistory to the Present with Jim Turner

Flagstaff City - Coconino County Public Library 300 West Aspen Avenue, Flagstaff, United States

This presentation covers humankind’s water use and food supply interactions with Arizona’s ecology from Clovis culture hunter-gatherers to prehistoric irrigation canals, contemporary Hopi and Tohono O’odham dry farming, and present-day American farmers. We will examine how overhunting and climate change affected the wooly mammoth populations and the agriculture experiments that followed. From early attempts to […]

Hiking into the Past: The Sierra Ancha Cliff Dwellings with John Mack

Caviglia-Arivaca Library 17050 W. Arivaca Rd., Arivaca, AZ, United States

This presentation examines the remarkable living structures built by the people who first lived in the canyons of the Sierra Ancha wilderness during the early Middle Ages. The architectural dwellings reflect the culture and history of these people and help us understand their contributions to life in the Arizona desert. The presentation includes numerous photos […]

The History Matters: Yours Too! with Pamela Stewart

Lecture Hall - R H Johnson Rec Center 19803 N. R.H. Johnson Blvd, Sun City West, AZ, United States

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION Reasons exist for why people do not look to history to address today’s challenges. Yet actively engaging in historical thinking can reveal tools for solving problems faster and with greater success. Even as personal history can matter and the presentation is useful for those interests, this is not an introduction to genealogy class. […]

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