SE Valley Times

Basketball players from Arizona State University and the Valley Suns gathered on January 6 to learn about Black history in Arizona, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit to ASU's Tempe campus in 1964.

The Valley Suns, part of the NBA’s developmental G League, participated as part of their monthly community outreach. The team is affiliated with the Phoenix Suns and based at Mullett Arena at ASU.

Professional players were joined by members of the Sun Devil basketball team, other ASU athletes, alumni, faculty, staff, and city officials from Tempe. They began their educational visit at a mural in Durham Hall commemorating King's speech at ASU in 1964. This speech was lost until a Phoenix resident found it among reel-to-reel tapes at Goodwill in 2014. In it, King urged for the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

Mark Brantley from ASU had the idea for the exhibit in Durham Hall. He noted that inviting King during that period was "a bold step."

Kenja Hassan led the visit and explained that inviting King was unpopular at the time. “Eight thousand people came to hear Dr. King speak here," she said, highlighting how this went against prevailing social norms focused on maintaining a hierarchy excluding Black people.

The group also visited ASU's Hayden Library to see the Black Collections, part of the Community-Driven Archives Initiative. Jessica Salow informed them that only about 2% of known archival collections in Arizona represent Black and African American people. “We have been here as Black and African American people since territorial times,” Salow stated.

Hassan emphasized that civil rights efforts occurred not just in southeastern states but also in Arizona: “What this history documents here is that we had legendary people in Arizona doing legendary work.”

The group learned about sports institutions' roles as drivers of social change through photographs depicting demonstrations about Martin Luther King Day holiday adoption issues. Arizona adopted this holiday in 1986 but faced boycotts after its cancellation by Gov. Evan Mecham a year later.

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods and City Council member Berdetta Hodge addressed attendees after visiting Black Collections; both are ASU alumni who discussed moving Tempe forward despite its past as a "sundown town." They mentioned efforts to rename landmarks associated with Ku Klux Klan members from local history.

Woods described objections from family members during renaming processes: “They would say ‘My grandfather wasn’t in Klan,’” he recounted while emphasizing presenting facts behind these changes: "It sends a very strong message about who we are."

Hodge shared her experience meeting civil rights icons Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, and Maya Angelou when she was young; Parks encouraged her future actions by saying: “We have opened door for you… Who will you open door for?”

Valley Suns guard Kaleb Johnson appreciated learning more about personal histories' importance alongside hearing stories related directly or indirectly impacting communities today like those shared throughout this eventful day exploring aspects often overlooked within broader narratives surrounding historical events shaping society over time.

Johnson reflected on influential figures within his life such as coaches or family members inspiring him positively towards becoming better person overall due largely thanks partly due guidance received along way too perhaps ultimately helping shape future generations yet come potentially someday soon hopefully anyway!