Arizona Celebrates Black History Month by Honoring Architect Rushia Fellows
As Black History Month is celebrated in Arizona, the community is taking the time to honor local hero Rushia Fellows. Fellows, who was the first licensed Black architect in Arizona and the first Black student to earn an architecture degree at Arizona State University, left a lasting impact on the city before his death in 1990. He designed over 50 buildings, including the Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and the South Mountain Community Center.
Fellows’ influence is still felt today, with a new mural dedicated to him near 12th and Jefferson streets. Valley developer Lorenzo Perez, who knew Fellows as a mentor during his time as an architecture major at ASU, spearheaded the project to keep the history of Eastlake Park alive. Perez credits Fellows with helping him through a difficult academic period and honoring him by helping to get the mural painted.
Perez, who is now a successful developer, wonders where he would be without Fellows’ support and is grateful for the opportunity to honor him through the Rushia Fellows Memorial Scholarship at ASU. Fellows’ legacy continues to inspire future generations in Arizona.
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