Susan Morris-Brooks

Susan Morris Brooks is the daughter of the well-known Reverend George Brooks, Sr. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1963. Raised in the South Phoenix neighborhood during the Civil Rights Movement, Susan went on to play a significant role in the ongoing fight for equality. Her dedication to civil rights was initially sparked by her family’s late 1920s beginnings in Arizona.

Susan’s father, Rev. George Brooks, Sr., played a significant role in the Southminster Presbyterian Church on Broadway Road in South Phoenix. Susan and her brother, George Jr., grew up in the church. Because of her father’s worries about educational inequalities in South Phoenix, she lived on the church grounds and attended schools in Central and North Phoenix. Susan graduated from North High School in Phoenix and obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Phoenix.

The Reverend George Brooks, Sr. was called by the Presbyterian church to start Southminster in 1953. He was a leader in the South Phoenix neighborhood and made significant contributions to the Civil Rights movement by establishing relationships with people who were silent supporters of the cause.

[Insert clip: 4:25, What brought my family to Arizona] [Insert clip: 6:16, Susan joins and begins answering the same question]

At that time, the Civil Rights movement was gaining momentum across the country. The struggle for racial equality gained momentum in the 1950s and 60s, as evidenced by important occasions like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Growing up in the thick of the Civil Rights struggle, Susan had a deep appreciation for the difficulties minorities confront. The anguish of dealing with prejudice, taunts, and figuring out the intricate system of Jim Crow segregation left a lasting mark. She highlights how Southminster Presbyterian Church offers persons of color a safe, empowered environment in which to express themselves and challenge bigotry.

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Now days, Susan lives in Phoenix and runs her own company. She embodies the spirit of the Civil Rights struggle even today. Her legacy is based on the conviction that when people accept their own worth, a group’s strength manifests, and constructive change is fostered.

Narrator	Susan Morris
Birthdate	1963
Place of Origin	Phoenix, AZ
Place of Residence	Phoenix, Arizona
Role	Business owner
Years active in South Phoenix	1963-
Interview Date	Feb. 25, 2021
Location	Zoom
Duration	1:09:29
Interviewed by	Faculty Researcher: Dr. Summer Cherland Student Researchers *Oscar and Rebecca*
Story Written by	Student Researcher: Sarah Potter