Jan. 8, 2024 | MLK Diversity Awards

Each year, the City of Tempe and the Human Relations Commission host an MLK Diversity Awards breakfast to honor and recognize community members and organizations demonstrating a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and who exemplify the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year’s program honors people and organizations, including students, who work to make Dr. King’s dream a reality.

Jan. 27, 2023 | Regional Unity Walk
Tempe Beack Park & Tempe Town Lake
For 18 years, hundreds of residents from Chandler, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe have gathered at Tempe Town Lake to celebrate coming together at the Diversity Festival and followed by participation in the Regional Unity Walk. For 2024, the event takes place at Tempe Town Lake on Saturday, Jan. 27. Festivities, including music, food and fun, kick off at 4:30 p.m. Then, the one-mile walk starts at 6 p.m. Participation is free, and all walkers will receive a free t-shirt commemorating this walk for unity, mutual respect and understanding.

Participation is open to the public, and families, schools, community groups, scout troops, and church groups are encouraged to attend.  Walkers are welcome to carry signs celebrating our community’s diversity and unity.

Feb. 2–23 | Celebration Black History Month at the Desert Botanical Garden
1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008 | 480-941-1225
Celebrate Black History Month at Desert Botanical Garden this February.

• Feb. 2, 7-9 p.m.: Music in the Garden: Sandra Bassett
• Feb. 14, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | For the Culture III: The Legacy of the Black Garden (virtual webinar) 
• Feb. 15, 6-9 p.m.: Centered. A storytelling experience featuring Ebone “Muse” Johnson and others.
• Feb. 16, 7-9 p.m.: Music in the Garden: Walt Richardson and Friends
• Feb. 23, 10 a.m.: Storytime: “The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett” by Mélina Mangal.

Feb. 3 – July 28, 2024 | “Twin Flames: The George Floyd Uprising from Minneapolis to Phoenix”
51 E. 10th St., Tempe, AZ 85281 | 480-965-2787

In partnership with ASU’s Center for Work and Democracy and the George Floyd Global Memorial, ASU Art Museum presents “Twin Flames: The George Floyd Uprising from Minneapolis to Phoenix.” Presented for the first time outside of Minnesota this exhibition asks important questions about the role of art and community as a vehicle for bearing witness and creating deeper understanding and empathy. It also examines the state of public memorials in this country, and prompts us to reflect on whose stories are shared, by whom and why. 

The following public programs will accompany the exhibition:

• Feb. 2, 5-7 p.m.: Public Opening Reception
• Feb. 2, 8-11 p.m.: Taste of Melanin, Silent Disco
• March 28: Histories of Protest in Art and Music
• April 6: Film screening + Panel Discussion for “Stonebreakers”
• May 2: Are Objects Forever? The Evolving Thinking on Conservation and Collections Care. Hear from Twin Flames’ Community of Practice, a committee of community members steering the exhibition at ASU Art Museum

Feb. 11, 2024 | Black History Month Activity Day at Tempe History Museum

809 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, AZ 85282 | 480-350-5100
Join the African American Advisory Committee of Tempe History Museum from 12 to 3 p.m. for a fun, interactive kids’ day to celebrate Black History Month! This free event is open to the entire family. 

Feb. 24, 2024 | This is Melanin at Mountain America Stadium
500 E Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85287
Step into a world brimming with entertainment and education — including games, a marketplace, panel discussions, workshops and entertainment — from 4 to 9 p.m. at Mountain America Stadium. This all-ages event is presented by the Black Philanthropy Initiative (BPI).

Feb. 24, 2024 | This Land is Our Land
700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, AZ 85281 | 480-350-2822
Join Martha Redbone and American Patchwork Quartet from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Tempe Center for the Arts for a night of soulful and captivating music that celebrates the rich and cultural tapestry of America. Martha Redbone’s soul-stirring voice and music are a tasty gumbo of folk, blues, and gospel celebrating her southeastern Cherokee/Choctaw and African American heritage. American Patchwork Quartet expertly weaves together jazz refinement, country twang, and West African hypnotics, to create a musical patchwork that celebrates both our differences and commonalities as a nation.

Monthly | Walt Richardson Live Performance
1320 E. Broadway Road, Suite 108, Tempe, AZ 85282 | 480-687-1088
Head over to Tempe’s newest social concept, The Chill Room, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays for a an evening of live music performed by legendary Tempe musician Walt Richardson and special guests. The Chill Room serves non-alcoholic cocktails, tea and botanical-based beverages, CBD wine, coffee, light fare and great vibes.

Feb. 29, 2024 | 48 LIVE: Alexis Janae
700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, AZ 85281 | 480-350-2822

Experience the 5-octave range, unmatched vocal agility and captivating performances of Alexis Janae from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Tempe Center for the Arts. “To the Women Who Paved the Way” features songs by influential black female artists who have inspired the sound of today’s music.

Join TCA in honoring the trailblazing women who opened doors, empowering today’s generation to assert control over their art and express it boldly and unapologetically.

Through March 2024 | “Opportunity (reflection)” by Hank Willis Thomas

After making a few stops throughout Greater Phoenix as part of the Super Bowl LVII festivities, “Opportunity (reflection)” by Brooklyn-based activist artist Hank Willis Thomas arrived at ASU Art Museum in February 2023, where it will remain for the year ahead. The 10-foot, stainless steel sculpture draws from Thomas’ 2015 sculpture “Opportunity,” which was inspired by the NFL — and his interest in photographic history, popular culture, and sports as a metaphor for individual and collective struggle or hope — but adds a finish reminiscent of the Vince Lombardi Trophy. In January, Thomas unveiled “The Embrace,” his tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King in Boston.

June 15, 2024 | Downtown Tempe Juneteenth Celebration
The Juneteenth Celebration in Downtown Tempe will be the ultimate historical exploration and celebration of Black Joy. To commemorate Juneteenth, Downtown Tempe is celebrating with a free event from 7 to 11 p.m. at CenterPoint Plaza. This event will create a space where people of all ages and races are invited to join in the celebration under the banner of Freedom of Expression, commemorating the strides made in the ongoing quest for racial equality and justice. The festivities include a DJ, spoken word performances, hip-hop dance, live art, food vendors, an old-school ice cream truck, roller skating, double dutch, adult beverages, a mobile cigar lounge, an art poetry experience and more.

June 15, 2024 | Tempe History Museum Juneteenth Celebration
The African-American Advisory Committee presents the 11th Annual Juneteenth Celebration to educate the community and celebrate freedom from slavery in the United States. Located at the Tempe History Museum, this celebration is FREE, family friendly and will include hands-on activities, performances, community resources, story time, food truck vendors and more from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jayarr | Muralist

Widely known by simply his Instagram handle and his singular message of positivity, Jayarr has been beautifying everything from restaurant interiors to residential block walls — and everything in between — across the Valley of the Sun for the past few years. His signature, “YOU ARE AMAZING” tag line, combined with the ultra-vibrant color schemes and geometric shapes, never gets old. See for yourself by heading to Beck Avenue, south of University Drive (at the corner of Beck Avenue and Laird Street) for one of his large-scale piece. Then head over to Daily Jam and check out his interior work. To find out where his art will show up next, check him out on Instagram.

Aaron Allen Marner | Mixed-Media Artist, Painter & Muralist

While this talented painter calls Phoenix home, his works celebrating Black History and the Black experience can be found dotting the streets of Downtown Tempe. These boxes are a vibrant addition to the city’s streetscape and perfectly showcase Marner’s versatility, while staying true to the faces, figures, social issues and personal experiences that define his work. Last February, ASU’s ArtSpace West featured “Aaron Allen Marner: Life Beyond Measure,” and he opened a new show at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix in January 2023.

Philip Gabriel Steverson | Artist, Poet & Designer

Philip Gabriel Steverson is a multi-talented artist attending Arizona State University, double majoring in Fashion Design and Creative Writing with a focus on Poetry. In 2022, he was also one of Artlink’s three recipients of The Artist Forward Fund (TAFF). Additionally, the Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art (phICA) launched a virtual exhibition showcasing the works in his “Abide by Struggle, Die by Defeat” series (view here).

According to Steverson, the goal for his art is to inspire his peers, individuals who encounter his work, and the youth that follow him to unlock their creativity to their fullest capacities. So, keep an eye out, because his work seems to be popping up everywhere!

Colleen Jennings-Roggensack | ASU Gammage Executive Director

Serving as ASU’s vice president for Cultural Affairs and executive director of ASU Gammage are only two of the hats that Colleen Jennings-Roggensack wears (though she is best-known for her signature beret). Among many other titles, she is Arizona’s only Tony voter. Which means she represents our city and state on the awards show’s red carpet each year — and she’s also represents several local designers there, too. In 2019, Loren Aragon, CEO and designer of Phoenix-based ACONAV, a Native American fashion brand, created her stunning red and black gown. The year prior, she wore a two-piece gown made out of a floral Spanish brocade, by Esteban Osuna, an emerging designer out of Tucson.

Walt Richardson | Musician

Walt Richardson is a celebrated Tempe performer and music legend. Starting as a solo performer on Mill Avenue, he went on to tour the U.S. extensively as part of the band Morning Star in the ’90s. Today, he still regularly performs here in Tempe, continues to host Walk-In Wednesdays open mic night at Tempe Center for the Arts and devotes time to the local community. In 2014, he was inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, and also became the inaugural musician enshrined on Tempe’s Music Walk — you can see his plaque on the southwest corner of Mill Avenue and 4th Street.

On Jan. 12, 2023, Mayor Woods announced the 27 recipients of Tempe’s BIPOC Micro-manufacturing Grants during the MLK Diversity Awards Breakfast. Only 11% of our country’s businesses are owned by People of Color. Entrepreneurship is one way that people can create financial prosperity for themselves and their families. Recognizing that gap, the City of Tempe set aside $300,000 and partnered with Rep. Greg Stanton to secure $500,000 in federal funding. This $800,000 fund is providing up to $25,000 stipends to BIPOC-owned businesses that they can use for rent, supplies, tools, anything they need to succeed. They also receive a Tempe Chamber of Commerce membership. 

Among the best-known stories from Tempe’s history may very well be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech entitled “Religious Witness for Human Dignity,” which he delivered at Arizona State University’s Goodwin Stadium on June 3, 1964. Although the land this event took place on has been transformed for new uses in the years that followed, visitors to the site will find landmark commemorating that occasion still standing today.

And, thanks to the archival efforts of ASU, photos and audio of that day can be found here.

Today, ASU celebrates Black History Month by honoring the rich culture and history through a variety of student-led educational and engaging programs. In addition to the events listed above, other happenings — from book clubs to film festivals — taking place across all the university campuses, and beyond, will be published here as details become available.