Arizona Daily Star reporter Carmen Duarte’s top 5 stories of 2022 – Arizona Daily Star

The Tohono O’odham runners are one with Mother Earth as their feet pound over desert trails, dirt roads or pavement. Running is a tradition that dates back centuries to their ancestors, the Hohokam. Runners would carry messages from village to village spreading news over expansive lands.

Running for the Tohono O’odham is tradition. Running is cultural. Running is spiritual.

Most recent, four runners led first lady Jill Biden’s motorcade on the San Xavier District, south of Tucson. It is one of 11 districts that make up the Tohono O’odham Nation, which is about the size of Connecticut. Sells is the capital of the nation and is located 60 miles southwest of Tucson.

During the first lady’s visit last month as part of a national effort to reduce cancer deaths and reach underserved communities, the runners carried staffs adorned with eagle feathers and ribbons, and blessed and cleared the path for Biden, the nation’s distinguished guest.

One of those runners was Eric Havier Jr., 14, a freshman and football player at Desert View High School.

“It was nice welcoming her, and it was really a nice run. It was a short run on a sunny afternoon,” said the teen who began running at age 5. “My parents encouraged me to go down the traditional path of running. I like running. It feels good and it cleanses your mind,” said the teen, explaining that he prays for family and members of the community while he runs throughout the district and other parts of the reservation.

Havier said running is personal and a decision for each individual to make. He said he is encouraging his 8-year-old brother to become a runner. The longest event the teen has participated in is the annual Unity Run, a weeklong run that has different routes. It can start in Mexico and head north across the international border on nation land and runners continue toward Red Rock. Participants camp out in tents and the district communities provide food and at times shelter, including a school gymnasium. Support vehicles follow the runners and hand out water, Gatorade, snacks and fruit.

Brandon Havier is Eric’s uncle, and Brandon is the run leader on the San Xavier District and organizes up to 40 running events a year, something he has done over two decades. The events include burial escort runs for funeral processions of veterans and also Memorial Day runs that are open to O’odham veterans. Runners also participate in an annual June camp, “Preparing the Eaglet to Fly”, a young man’s gathering to teach tribal culture and values. In addition to running and camping, the youth learn how to build a fire for a sweat lodge and how to hunt with a bow and arrow.

Brandon, 44, no longer runs because of complications in his legs from diabetes, but he works with the runners and recruits youth, emphasizing the need for young people to be physically active and lead healthy lifestyles to prevent diabetes, which is an epidemic on the nation. He said he enjoys seeing runners exercising and staying in shape. “Some train every evening to run marathons. Traditional running is not a dying art for us, not in this district,” said Brandon, of participants ages 5 to over 60.

“I walk and continue exercising to stay healthy. There are days I jog, and maybe there will come a day that I can run again,” Brandon said. He said he leans on his wife, Jenifer Havier, who drives Brandon to all the events and also drops off runners at the starting points for their runs.

Challenge the body

Marathon runner Marlinda Francisco works to show others what their body is capable of doing as a member of the nation’s Healthy O’odham Promotion Program, a program that teaches the risks of diabetes and the importance of nutrition and physical activity to keep it under control and lead to healthy lives.

The Navajo and Tohono O’odham woman, who was born in Tuba City and grew up in Tucson, works in Sells and coordinates running events virtually since the pandemic, but is eager to bring back in-person community events in the near future as the nation begins to slowly reopen.

Francisco began running seven years ago in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation. The run was in memory of her uncle Rick Begay. “It was my first half-marathon (13.1 miles), and I dedicated it to him,” she said of the healing run, covering a few hills and gradual inclines on desert land, in which she prayed for strength. She continued participating in runs in the Tucson area, praying for herself and her family. In 2018, Francisco competed in her first marathon in Shiprock on her uncle’s anniversary of his death.

“All of this inspired me and I enjoyed coordinating runs on the Tohono O’odham Nation through the Healthy O’odham Promotion Program. We coordinated half-marathons in different communities in the Sells District and the Baboquivari District. The largest event we had was near 300 participants. We have been doing this for more than 11 years,” said Francisco.

Runners train themselves and keep fit for endurance, speed and strength. Some run on the road or on desert trails, said Francisco, who runs the Starr Pass Trailhead or on trails in Sells. “I want to help people with their well-being. I come from a family with diabetes and I have lost family members,” said Francisco. She quickly counted eight deaths, including aunts, an uncle and a grandmother.

She has three daughters who are runners and all ran cross country at Baboquivari High School. Two have graduated and one is a student and remains on the team. Her two older daughters are training for their first half-marathon in Shiprock next month.

“The physical part of training does take a lot of work, especially on your legs,” said Francisco, rattling off injuries to her hamstring, Achilles tendon and the top of her foot that sidelined her training for days on up to weeks. “Once you’re healed, you get back out there again. Now that it is hot, I start running usually before 7 in the morning three to four times a week. When I am in training for a marathon, I run 16 miles a day — one day on and one day off to rest,” she said.

“When I am running, I focus on myself and listen to my body. Running out on the Tohono O’odham Nation is a blessing because that is our way of connecting to our land. We are testing our strength and testing our body,” said Francisco. She wears a hydrovest carrying water, electrolytes, protein bars or salt sticks to prevent cramping. She has encountered hawks, javelinas, coyotes, rabbits, snakes and a Gila monster. She has been warned to be on the lookout for mountain lions.

“I believe our loved ones who have passed are watching over us and will protect us on our runs. They come in the forms of butterflies, cardinals and feathers. I always pray and thank them for running with me and watching over me,” she said.

She recently competed in a 50-kilometer race in Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation and the course was on tribal parks land covering trails, hills, sand area and a mesa. “The run started sunny with a light breeze and then over the course it became windy and there was hail and a sandstorm. After I finished running, it snowed,” she said. Runners carried extra clothing and shoes and used aid stations to change.

In November, she plans to compete in the TCS New York City Marathon. “I am going to challenge myself a little more,” she said. “If I get selected, it will be my second major marathon. Last year, I ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. There were thousands of runners. I did not place but I finished under 5 hours. I pulled a hamstring about three weeks before the event, but I was able to run.”

Holistic approach in running

Anthony Francisco started his running journey when he was 8, while a student at the now Indian Oasis Elementary Primary School in Sells. He participated in running events organized during holidays in the Baboquivari Unified School District. “When I first started running, it was purely recreational. I really enjoyed it and it made me feel good,” said Francisco, 42, a state champion and an All-American runner when he attended Sunnyside High School in the 1990s.

As Francisco grew older, he learned more about the cultural connection to running for the O’odham and he connected with a spiritual feeling that flowed from within and grounded him. “Our culture and spirituality is all intertwined. Runners bless the path and clear the way. It took me until I became an adult to get more in tune with that aspect of running. It is the way we pray and honor the land and others,” he said, explaining he was not involved in cultural or spiritual runs when he was young because he was busy competing to be a top distance runner at state track meets.

“Spiritual runs have helped young people in our community. It is a holistic approach that makes runners understand who they are as an O’odham,” said Francisco, cross country head coach for the Tohono O’odham Community College in Sells. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the head coach worked with youth and hosted races at the college for runners to give back to the community.

“We do want to host running events again, and it will happen in time. People have gone through so much during these times of COVID. Our college and our dorms closed. A lot of runners had to find places to stay in Tucson, but we do expect our dorms to open this fall semester,” said Francisco, explaining that some of the college runners are students from tribes across the United States. Once the nation opens up, Francisco plans to host community runs and marathons.

“Running has always been a balance for me,” said Francisco, who runs on desert trails or dirt roads throughout the nation and competes in running events across the state. Running saved his inner self and brought him peace after the suicides of his best friend and then his uncle more than two decades ago. He ran away the anxiety and stress over dirt trails near his grandmother’s house in Comobabi, 20 miles north of Sells.

Feeling sweat and a breeze on his face under a sunny sky makes him feel good. He said running nourishes his spirit and he will continue running until the day he dies.

The mausoleum crypt holding Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino’s remains in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora, was opened Wednesday so that a Tucson organization promoting Kino’s canonization could obtain a relic.

The opening of the crypt by the Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology was requested by Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson on behalf of the Kino Heritage Society. The society educates the public and promotes the cause for Kino’s sainthood. The organization is affiliated with the diocese.

José Luis Perea González, an anthropologist who is the director of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History Center in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora, authorized the opening and closing of the crypt.

The procedure was done in private by the institute’s conservator, Rodolfo Castillo Lopez, an anthropologist who wore latex gloves, a face mask, knee pads and used a brush to restore the area he touched in the tomb. Kino’s visible skeletal remains, which are under plexiglass, are in the mausoleum crypt at La Plaza Monumental, about 50 yards from María Magdalena Church.

The crypt was opened for the Kino Heritage Society to obtain what is called a third-class relic from Kino who is a candidate for sainthood. A third-class relic is an object that has touched a body part of a saint or would-be saint, or a possession that a saint or would-be saint owned, according to Vatican rules.

In this case, the third-class relic was reels of black ribbon, representing the Jesuit cassock, that were placed in the crypt by Lopez, touching the skull of Kino, said the Rev. Gregory Adolf, who was among the delegation from the Tucson diocese to attend the event in Magdalena de Kino, about a 2½-hour drive south from Tucson.

Before the event, Lopez checked the interior of the crypt and found it to be “in good shape with no signs of deterioration,” said Adolf. Lopez handed the reels of ribbon to Adolf after the reels touched Kino’s skull. Lopez then closed and locked the crypt where access to Kino’s remains has been rare during the last 50 years, and is only authorized by the institute, Adolf said.

Adolf is a board member of the Kino Heritage Society and member of the board of directors of the Southwest Mission Research Center, which promotes borderland history and also sponsors tours in Arizona and Sonora of Kino missions.

“This was deeply moving because I have seen the remains many, many times through the plexiglass, but to have the tomb open and looking in on the ground level straight at Father Kino’s bones was very touching,” said Adolf. “I was very impressed by the wonderful cooperation by the local authorities and the National Institute of Anthropology and History to make this possible,” he said, explaining that pilgrims arriving at the tomb were held back by a gate while the process to obtain the third-relic was taking place. The crowd stood in silence.

“It was a beautiful sunny day and about 40 people waited to catch an unexpected glimpse into history,” said Adolf.

The ribbon will be cut into tiny pieces that will go on 20,000 prayer cards that will be distributed to diocesan parishes to promote Kino’s cause for sainthood. The prayer cards are being donated to the society by Frank Barco, owner of the Copper Queen Publishing Co., Inc. in Bisbee, said Rosie Garcia, president and founder of the Kino Heritage Society. One reel of ribbon will be given to Kino’s descendants in Segno, Italy.

“Gathering a third-class relic from Kino’s crypt is most appropriate now that the good padre has been declared ‘venerable,’” said Rev. Christopher Corbally, a Jesuit Vatican astronomer and heritage society board member, in regards to Kino’s candidacy for sainthood. “Relics of saints help us recall that these holy people were as real as ourselves, they walked our walk, and so can be an inspiration to our own journey,” said Corbally.

“Relics, such as this one of Kino, help us to remember to call on those in heaven for help. They are our friends and family, and they care for us,” Corbally said. “Yes, we can always go straight to God with our needs but, as in our present life, it feels good to have the support of friends when we have a special request to make of someone with authority. Praying for something really special to God like this, with the support of such as Padre Kino on the way to be declared “saint,” has the two effects: it opens us to God’s answer; and it confirms that the padre is indeed close to God in heaven,” said Corbally.

In July 2020, Pope Francis approved that Kino be declared a “venerable” person, which is two steps away from sainthood. At that time, Bishop Weisenburger said the pope’s formal approval recognized Kino’s life of “heroic virtue.”

“Padre Kino is especially recognized as an extraordinary example of evangelization, science and respect for the dignity of the poor,” wrote Weisenburger in an email to parishioners of the diocese.

The process to canonize Kino began in the 1960s and it started in Hermosillo.

According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, after a candidate becomes venerable, the next step is blessed and then canonized as a saint.

“To be beatified and recognized as a blessed, one miracle acquired through the candidate’s intercession is required in addition to recognition of heroic virtue or martyrdom. Canonization requires a second miracle after beatification, though a pope may waive these requirements,” according to the site.

The society would not disclose what it paid the institute for the costs to obtain the relic. The money came from a trust fund established by the late Jesuit Rev. Charles W. Polzer, a Kino historian and anthropologist, to support events promoting and celebrating the canonization process of Kino.

Kino, who left a legacy as a Jesuit missionary, explorer, cartographer, rancher and farmer, was born Eusebio Chini on Aug. 10, 1645, in Segno, Italy, and died March 15, 1711, at age 65 in Magdalena. He founded 21 missions in the Pimería Alta — what is now Northern Sonora and Southern Arizona.

Among the missions are Tumacácori mission that was established by Kino in 1691 but later built under Franciscan missionaries. In 1700, Kino laid the foundation for a mission at the village of Bac, on the Santa Cruz River near Tucson. Mission San Xavier del Bac — also known as the White Dove of the Desert — was completed in 1797 also by Franciscan missionaries.

According to writings by Polzer, Padre Kino’s bones were found May 19, 1966, by a binational team of experts, including archaeologists and historians involved in methodical excavations. The work was commissioned by the Mexican federal government.

The remains were discovered where they had been buried some 255 years earlier. They were found under the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier that Kino had built in what is now the Plaza de Magdalena. In the remains, was a cassock button and a small crucifix, according to writings by the late Bernard L. “Bunny” Fontana, also an anthropologist and historian.

“That Kino’s remains were discovered in 1966 has to be regarded as miraculous. The same might be said for the continuation of so much that he set in motion in Northern Sonora/Southern Arizona more than three centuries ago,” wrote Fontana about the discovery and Kino’s accomplishments.

Photos: Father Kino (Eusebio Francisco Kino)

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

Eusebio Francisco Kino, Father Kino

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Selina Barajas has deep roots in the city of South Tucson, and those roots along with a strong belief in community and economic development are driving her and her husband to open a coffee shop — Luna y Sol Cafe — in a 3,000-square-foot building.

Selina and Abraham Barajas are the founders and owners of Luna y Sol Cafe, named after their young daughters, Sofia Luna and Mia Sol, who the couple see as carrying on the family’s legacy. Selina, who turns 38 on Thanksgiving Day, is chief executive officer and Abraham, 39, is chief financial officer of the future cafe at 137 W. 29th St., west of South Sixth Avenue. The couple expects to get the keys to the building next month and open next fall.

The building will undergo renovation and recently served as Balloon Land, a party supply store operated by Gabi Reyes. Reyes’ father, Ray Medrano, constructed the building that originally opened five decades ago as a tire shop, and then became a music and video store before it transformed into the party supply store.

“My dad was a landscaper and he would go sell items at a swap meet at the old Greyhound Park. He saved the money from sales and bought the land and built his business. The family helped him run the businesses over the years,” explained Reyes who was involved in all the enterprises. Her father died in 2009 and her mother died a little over a year ago.

“I always wanted to sell to somebody who would stay in the community and help South Tucson. Selina won me over. She was the answer to my prayers because she cares about this community and is giving back,” Reyes explained. “She has organized several pop up events for small businesses and vendors in South Tucson, and on Tucson’s south side. Selina has sold clothing out of her business, Mi Reina Mobile Boutique, and has held events and fundraisers to benefit youth in this community.”

Reyes, however, isn’t leaving the business scene, purchasing The Ambassador Event Center, a venue on Tucson’s southeast-side for weddings, celebrations and business gatherings. “I cannot run two businesses. Selina is perfect for South Tucson; and the community is excited about the coffee shop,” Reyes said.

Betty Villegas, director of housing and community development for South Tucson, said the cafe will fill a void in the city. “I am really excited about this coffee shop. We don’t really have a place to have meetings or to gather around here. This is a great opportunity for the residents to have a place to meet with neighbors and organizations,” Villegas said. “This coffee shop is more than just a business for Selina. It is a way to build community.”

Proving a point

Barajas remembers as a child hearing stories about the one-square-mile city from her grandparents who raised their families there, along with her great-grandparents. The stories were about vaqueros working on ranches, and construction workers who helped build the Tucson area where they raised their families during a time when it was safe for their kids to play outdoors, running after balls, playing tag and hide-and-seek.

She treasures a family photo of grandparents Erlinda and Frank Gallego on their wedding day in 1921 at a house two blocks away from their soon-to-be cafe. In the photo, Selina’s grandparents are flanked by her great-grandmothers, Artemisa Gastelum and Mercedes Gallego. Her family’s roots were tied to the area before it was first incorporated into a city in 1936.

Barajas grew up on Tucson’s southwest side, graduating from Cholla High School. When she was a student at the University of Arizona, a professor asked students if they had money to invest in a business what area of Tucson would they choose. At the time, the Spectrum shopping center, near Irvington Road and Interstate 10, was built and anchored by Target and Home Depot, then later came Harkins Theatres and J.C. Penney, along with businesses including Ross, Olive Garden and other restaurants, clothing stores, and Food City supermarket. It was a hit attracting thousands of shoppers, including shoppers from Mexico, that before had to travel to Tucson, El Con and Park Place malls.

So Barajas said she was dumbfounded and offended when she said she would invest in a business at Spectrum, and the professor told her never to invest in a business south of 22nd Street because it would not be profitable.

“I thought to myself ‘does he think Hispanic families don’t eat or shop or buy clothes? Does he not know the thousands of vehicles that travel West Irvington and West Valencia roads everyday?’ “ She said that “no” from that professor motivated her to prove them wrong.

The University of Arizona grad who received her master’s in urban planning from UCLA points to the growth that has happened with housing on Tucson’s southwest side, and the growth of shops at Spectrum, and the booming businesses north of the shopping center. She said finally developers woke up and saw the potential for growth and the commercial needs for families.

Her husband, who has worked for Trader Joe’s for 20 years, is right by her side.

“Getting our commercial building is exciting. We understand that not everyone can have an opportunity like this,” he said.

Abraham grew up in the Los Angeles area, a first generation Mexican-American, and he is grateful to his parents who took a risk coming to the U.S. for more opportunities.

“Maybe that’s why I feel excited knowing that starting this business with Selina is a step in the right direction to building a better tomorrow, not only for ourselves, but for our girls, too.”

He said he has learned the retail business at Trader Joe’s, and the importance of customer service. Those values will be applied at the coffee shop to “offer not only a quality product, but also a great neighborhood feeling. We want to get to know our community and make everyone feel welcomed. We won’t just be a coffee shop. We will be a hub for the community.”

Vision coming to fruition

The couple lived in Los Angeles County for 10 years, and bought a home in Inglewood. They went to Latino-and-Black-owned coffee shops daily and saw the shops as hubs for students, artists, business owners, city officials, professionals, blue-collar workers and families. They see Luna y Sol Cafe filling that void in South Tucson and attracting customers from the south and west sides. The pair have a team behind them that consist of a coffee consultant, manager barista, web designer, accountant and business attorney.

The business owners did a feasibility study and found that there are five Starbucks and Dutch Bros. south of 22nd Street that are top selling stores in the city and state. The study also found that 74% of Hispanics drink coffee daily.

In addition to coffee, beverages and pastries, they plan on having food trucks on the property selling a variety of meals. The couple foresees the cafe having an indoor meeting space, and also an outdoor seating area for customers, including a play area for children, and an area for entertainment.

Their visions were shared with University of Arizona landscape architecture students taught by adjunct lecturers Alexandra Stoicof and Nolan Bade in the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. The students came up with designs from which the couple can choose ideas to finalize their own design for the outdoor space and parking lot.

Barajas entered a Startup Tucson competition for businesses and won a $5,000 United Way Social Impact Award that was announced at the TENWEST Festival earlier this month.

“The Social Impact Award means a lot to us because we will put the money back into the soil at our site. South Tucson needs more green infrastructures such as trees, vegetation, shade and outdoor gathering places. I want the cafe to be a multi-generational experience,” she said.

The TENWEST Festival is co-led by Startup Tucson, a community-oriented nonprofit that is committed to supporting entrepreneurs, and the UA Center for Innovation, which aids business people through structured programs to help them turn their ideas into solid enterprises.

Barajas will be sharing updates on Luna y Sol Cafe on Instagram: instagram.com/lunaysolcafe.

At age 84, Barbara Lewis clearly remembers Dunbar School — a once segregated school for Tucson’s Black children in grades first to eighth from 1918 to 1951.

She clearly remembers going to the school at 325 W. Second St. and not having a library, auditorium, cafeteria or gymnasium. “Our auditorium was a large hallway. Our cafeteria was three-burners in an area downstairs,” said Lewis.

In 1951, under a change in Arizona law, the forerunner to Tucson Unified School District no longer mandated Black children to attend segregated schools. John Spring then became a school for Black, Mexican-American and Asian students until it was closed in 1978 after TUSD was court-ordered to desegregate its schools. It was one of three schools the district closed.

Today, Lewis is among board members of the nonprofit Dunbar Coalition that has worked to turn the Dunbar Pavilion, which encompasses the old historic Dunbar School and what became John Spring Junior High School into an educational, cultural, social and business center embracing and celebrating African descent. There also are plans for an African-American museum. Presently it houses office spaces, areas for community meetings and activities, and the Tucson Idea School, an independent, nonprofit K-8 school.

Lewis and fellow board member Chyrl Hill Lander and coalition chairman Sam Brown are among those rejoicing with the news that the nonprofit Dunbar Coalition was awarded over $1.1 million in federal money to continue needed renovations on the three-acre property that houses 51,758 square feet of repurposed buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places.

U.S. Reps. Raúl Grijalva and Ann Kirkpatrick requested the funds, and the Appropriations Committee granted the award, said Grijalva. He said because Dunbar “was built on a philosophy of divisiveness and ignorance, we seek to reverse the effect of segregation by keeping the building open to all and creating a hub to learn about Black history and culture in Tucson and Southern Arizona.”

“The key to history is the truth,” said Grijalva. “Trying to rewrite, erase or ignore history is a mistake. Knowing the true history of our communities and the nation is a positive. This is part of this nation’s history that should not be forgotten. We condemn the act of segregation and the truth needs to be told and we learn much more from it,” he said.

Lewis said she remembers when the coalition purchased the old Dunbar building in 1995 for $25 from TUSD when the district was discussing demolishing it. “Everything was so dilapidated. The ceiling was coming down, there were broken windows and animals were living inside the building,” recalled Lewis. “We wanted the property for the love of the school itself. We knew it was a lot of work, and we are more than halfway done with renovations now. I think it has been wonderful to watch the progress.”

Much of the major work has been completed, said Lewis, including the electrical wiring, plumbing, roofing and much of the heating and cooling. “I am hoping it is all completed in my lifetime. The thought of that keeps me waking up every morning and going,” she said, reminiscing to the days Principal Morgan Maxwell Sr. invited Marian Anderson, an American contralto who performed opera to spirituals, to perform at the school. It was 1942 and she was in Tucson to perform at the University of Arizona and Anderson took time to sing to Dunbar students and eat lunch with them.

Lewis also remembers Langston Hughes, a poet, novelist and fiction writer, who came to talk to students. “He was the reason we got swamp coolers in our old school,” said Lewis. “It was hot. After he spoke to us, he made a fuss and went to the superintendent and had a fit, and we got swamp coolers,” she said. “There also were Black baseball players that came to Tucson for spring training, and they stayed in the homes of people. They came and spoke to us, too,” she said. “The good things for us individually, outweighed the bad things at Dunbar,” Lewis said.

Lander joined the coalition board after the death of her husband, Cressworth Lander, a Dunbar alum and retired top administrator in housing and economic development programs for the city. He died in 2015. “Cress was very involved in this project, serving as chair of the coalition for more than a decade, and I want to do my part to make sure the renovations are completed. Dunbar is a meaningful legacy to the history of Tucson. Because of the country’s ‘separate but equal’ mandate, it was the only school Black children living in Tucson could attend, no matter where they lived in the city. It was the only public school where Black educators could teach,” said Lander.

“I feel great about this latest round of funding and the renovations it will support,” Lander said. “This is a great infusion of cash because since COVID everything shut down. This infusion of money will help us get work going again. The coalition has remained faithful to a master plan that specifies historically appropriate renovations to bring the facility back to its condition in the 1940s,” explained Lander.

About $6 million has been used on renovations at the pavilion since 1995 up to last year, she said. The funding has come from federal allocations, city and county community development block grants, foundations, private donations and fundraising. “We are grateful for the financial support from Dunbar alumni, family, friends, businesses, houses of worship, national and local organizations and Tucson’s elected officials,” said Lander, a former reporter and copy editor for the Arizona Daily Star and former TUSD spokeswoman.

In addition to construction of an amphitheater on the south side of the building, the latest $1.1 million will go toward restoration of upstairs classrooms and the basement, fencing around the property, landscaping, signage and furniture. The coalition also was awarded $125,000 from Arizona State Historic Preservation Office for an African-American museum.

The coalition needs to write grants and fundraise another $2 million to have all the work completed, Lander said. The cost summary of work to be done was prepared by the architectural firm Poster Mirto McDonald, which has supervised all renovations, Lander said.

Coalition Chairman Sam Brown, a former TUSD legal counsel who is chief civil deputy with the Pima County Attorney’s Office, said the coalition has been working to set policy and structure to take Dunbar to the next level. “We are ready to be the best Black cultural, community and arts center in the nation. We want to create something truly unique and special. We are collaborating with the Catalina Rotary Club of Tucson to build a five-year comprehensive campaign to raise $5 million, and we expect to kickoff the campaign late this year or early next year.

“This will pay for building construction and staff because we want to expand health and wellness at the center, build a family resource center, and open it up to more community organizations and family activities. We want to bring in more businesses, and create a venue for comedy shows, concerts, plays and economic activities,” said Brown.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said she supports the Dunbar Pavilion as part of the city’s Arts & Culture Revitalization Initiative with the city backing investment in areas that pertain to arts, history, culture and heritage in Tucson. “I want Dunbar Pavilion to be part of our investment in our strategy moving forward,” said Romero.

Christian Hirwa came with his family to Tucson nearly a decade ago — all as Rwanda refugees who fled to Kenya in 1997 because of ongoing death threats stemming from the genocide killings in his motherland.

Hirwa was a young boy living in the city of Kigali, Rwanda, and he remembers seeing bloody bodies, and he experienced flashbacks of the horrific slayings ordered by Hutu officials with governmental power. Death squads shot or used machetes to kill Tutsi tribal members in their neighborhoods. Even though his family and relatives have mixed-blood of Tutsi and Hutu, they were suspected to be Tutsi, said Hirwa, explaining that Tutsi were the victims of the genocide bloodbath carried out by Hutu.

“I grew up in the midst of the conflict, and in 1994, after the killing of the president, the genocide began,” said Hirwa of the shooting down of a plane carrying President Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana, a moderate Hutu. The plane was shot down over the capital city of Kigali, and there were no survivors. It is not known who is responsible for the killing. Some say Hutu extremists were responsible, and others say leaders of the Rwandese Patriotic Front, consisting mostly of Tutsi refugees, were behind the assassination, according to History.com

Hirwa, 35, has lived the hell of refugees, and that is the reason he works giving back to those fleeing war-torn countries seeking safety in the United States. For seven years, he worked at Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest as a case manager for its refugee resettlement programs.

In November, Hirwa was hired by Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona as a refugee resettlement services program manager to supervise case managers who will be working with up to 150 Afghanistan and other refugees coming to Tucson. Thus far, the agency has resettled nearly 40 people. Jewish Family & Children’s Services relaunched its refugee work, services it offered from 1989 to 2007 when it welcomed mostly Russian Jews fleeing antisemitism in the former Soviet Union.

The JFCS board of directors saw the need to help refugees fleeing Afghanistan after the United States completed its withdrawal of troops in August, ending a 20-year war. The Taliban took over the country in days.

The Afghanistan evacuees are part of Operation Allies Refuge, a military operation that airlifted certain at-risk Afghan civilians, interpreters, U.S. embassy employees and other prospective Special Immigrant Visa and humanitarian parolee applicants. In an earlier interview, Aaron Rippenkroeger, executive director for International Rescue Committee in Arizona, said roughly 100,000 refugees are out of Afghanistan, and most are coming to the United States.

JFCS is now one of four Tucson agencies offering refugee resettlement services. The other three are Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and International Rescue Committee. A total of 800 refugees are anticipated to be aided by the local agencies through federal funding and community donations.

For JFCS, Hirwa will make sure the families are welcomed and work to become a part of the Tucson community. The agency will help with housing, education, transportation, medical services, employment, cultural and community services. Those who have challenging needs, such as the elderly, single parents with children or those who have experienced extreme trauma will have access to intensive case management for one year. JFCS also will work in partnership with the Global Jewish Organization for Refugees in providing services.

It is difficult for refugees to enter a foreign world and start anew, trying to fit in and learn English, get a job and learn the customs and everyday life in America, said Hirwa. He was age 25 when he and his mother and five siblings left Kenya after their case was approved by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The family was interviewed by U.S. government officials and went through background checks, applying for refugee status because of the Rwanda genocide that slaughtered hundreds of thousands.

Hirwa said he was 6 years old when he witnessed the bloody bodies in his neighborhood left by military militia. His family fled to the Republic of Congo in 1994 and then returned to Kigali months later when the situation was better. However, their stay was short because Hirwa said his family was threatened by government officials alleging they had ties to the Hutu government. This led them to flee to Nairobi, Kenya, where they carved out a life with much hardship because as refugees they were not allowed to have work permits. They labored in what they could find. He ran errands for people, and his mother worked on her own as a hairdresser.

“When it is happening, you just don’t think about it. You just want to escape and be safe,” said Hirwa. “You process everything later, and it is difficult. You get flashbacks and wonder why all this happened to you.”

Hirwa said his Christian faith has helped him deal with the trauma. He finds refuge in his church Grace to the Nations.

In 2012, Hirwa and his family took a flight from Nairobi, Kenya, to the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and then continued to Dallas and Tucson. They were greeted by refugee resettlement workers with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. The family began their journey to assimilate into the Tucson community.

Hirwa took classes to improve his English at Pima Community College and graduated with an associate of arts degree majoring in political science. He transferred to the University of Arizona and received a bachelor’s degree in human services from the College of Applied Science & Technology last year. One sister is a nurse and the other is a case manager with International Rescue Committee. A brother works for a retail outlet, another brother served four years in the Army and was recently discharged, and the youngest brother, who is autistic, attends a special needs school. Hirwa’s mother stays home and cares for her youngest son.

Through all the challenges in his new adopted country, said Hirwa, the most difficult is mastering English.

“For those who arrive and do not speak English, many are thinking how will they find jobs and survive. This is very challenging, but they figure out what they need to do and learn to navigate through life,” said Hirwa, who will help and guide Tucson’s new arrivals.