Highlights
Originally from Oklahoma, Lincoln Ragsdale came to Arizona when he, a Tuskegee Airman, was transferred to Luke Air Force Base for gunnery training. After WWII, Ragsdale settled in Phoenix where he became the first Black Phoenician to own a funeral home.
Eleanor Dickey moved from Pennsylvania to Phoenix after accepting a position as a kindergarten teacher. There, she met and married Ragsdale and left teaching to help at his mortuary business.
Controversially, the Ragsdales served customers of all races, with Lincoln saying, “We talk about integration but too often continue to work in all-black situations.” Opening many businesses over the years, they became a wealthy family. As lifelong believers in equal rights, they poured their money back into the community. After working for the integration of military cemeteries in the 1950s, they went on to advocate for the desegregation of Phoenix schools. The Ragsdales donated the money needed for the lawsuit that would result in the nation`s first court decision declaring school segregation laws illegal, setting the stage for Brown v. Board of Education.
After tackling cemeteries and schools, the Ragsdales worked to end discriminatory housing practices. With the help of a friend, Eleanor, a licensed realtor, was able to purchase a house in an all-white neighborhood. There, the Ragsdales faced vandalism, harassment, and threats, but they persevered. They went on to help other Black families purchase homes in previously all-white areas.
The Ragsdales led protests, hosted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and more in their efforts to make Phoenix a fairer and more just city for everyone.
Before Barack Obama or Jackie Robinson, there was Black trailblazer Paul Laurence Dunbar. Despite only living to age 33, Dunbar was the first African America to be widely acclaimed in the literary world. His work included poems, short stories, novels, and Dayton, Ohio’s first weekly African American newspaper, The Tattler. The Tattler was printed by his friends, the soon-to-be famous Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville.
After his marriage in 1898, Dunbar and his new bride moved to Washington, DC, after he took a job at the Library of Congress. He soon left the position to focus entirely on his writing. Dunbar’s work is credited with setting the stage for the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, a time when Black creators and artists started to be accepted by many white Americans.
His poem “Sympathy” is still widely quoted:
I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—
I know what the caged bird feels!
I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting—
I know why he beats his wing!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—
I know why the caged bird sings!
-Paul Laurence Dunbar
It’s Presidents’ Day! A three-day weekend for many and a celebration of two beloved American presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It was originally celebrated as ‘Washington’s Birthday’ on—you guessed it—George Washington’s birthday, Feb. 22. Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12, was celebrated in many states, but not a federal holiday until the two were combined as ‘Presidents’ Day’ in 1968.
It’s Valentine’s Day, a day all about love. The heart reigns supreme on February 14. What’s a good way to show your heart? Becoming an organ donor!
Today is also National Donor Day. If you’re interested in giving the ultimate gift, visit the website in our Linktree to find out how to sign up in your state!
Elgie Mike Batteau was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Arizona. After earning a master’s degree in teaching, Ms. Mike Batteau taught at Dunbar Junior High School in Tucson. Later, she taught at then-Phoenix Union Colored High School, the only school in the state that was specifically for Black students. She is credited with leading the campaign to change the school’s name to George Washington Carver High School. Today, the building houses the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center.
A dedicated educator and civil rights leader, Ms. Mike Batteau was the first African American to serve on the Pima Community College Governing Board. Today, the Elgie M. Batteau Honor Society promotes “academic success, professional development, and community engagement at the University of Arizona and throughout Tucson. Through our pillars of scholarship, leadership and service, as we aim to promote Black excellence.”
This Black History Month, we celebrate the courage of Ms. Mike Batteau and other leaders throughout the histories of Arizona and Washington, DC.
This Black History Month, we’re highlighting African America leaders from Arizona and Washington, DC, the places we call home.
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington is one of the most important figures in the history of jazz. His works are some of the most well known in the genre and he was a staple in the New York City jazz scene from the 1920s through the post-World War II years. In his later years, he developed a passion for film scoring. The pianist, composer, songwriter, bandleader, and actor was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Award for music in 1999.
Ellington’s early days were classic Washington. He said President Roosevelt occasionally stopped to watch the kids in his neighborhood play baseball and his first job was selling peanuts at Washington Senators baseball games. Inspired by the ragtime pianists of the era, Ellington composed his first piece of music, “Soda Fountain Rag”, by ear at age 15 while working at DC’s Poodle Dog Café.
Today, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts is the only public high school in the nation’s capital that offers both college-preparatory academics and pre-professional arts training in nine disciplines.
After momentarily losing access to TikTok in the US earlier this month, we’re reminded of how important it is to have direct contact with clients. Social media is a great way to start the connection, but a direct link—such as email or texting capability—is key to creating a lasting relationship. How can you build relationships outside the platforms? Fose + McKay can help!
A lot has been said about whether the US Supreme Court will uphold a law that would effectively ban TikTok in the US. The clock is ‘tiking’, so to speak, on the social media platform’s presence in the country, with the ‘ban’ potentially going into effect in less than a week.
Do you think TikTok will be banned? If so, which platform(s) do you think will fill the space left by the social media giant’s departure?
It’s Houseplant Appreciation Day and Fose + McKay team members have a lot of plants! Sometimes they appear on video meetings, but in case you haven’t caught them we gathered a few pics.
Plants improve air quality, lift your mood, reduce stress, and bring a little whimsy into your living space or office. They’ve even been shown to increase productivity!
Today, we come together as Americans to mourn our 39th president, James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr. President Carter’s impact on the nation lasted far longer than his tenure in office.
President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, dedicated nearly 40 years to Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds houses for low-income people through the US and Canada. By volunteering alongside the new homeowner, volunteers and recipients of Habitat for Humanity forged connections that broke barriers.
President Carter won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advance human rights around the globe, and promote economic and social development.
A graduate of The U.S. Naval Academy, President Carter served overseas before becoming governor of Georgia and eventually president of the US.
For his many achievements in and out of office, we salute President Carter. Today, we congratulate him on a life well lived, mourn his loss, and keep his loved ones in our thoughts.
Early January is the time for resolutions! From health-related to achievement goals, our team has many intentions for 2025. One we have as a group is to spend more time together. The world continues to shift further away from the isolation brought on by COVID, and we are here for it! What`s your goal for 2025?
