12 Jan 4th–Jan 10th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | THE SAGUAROS Summer 2023 Saguaro cactuses dot our desert landscape, delight residents and tourists alike, and stand as bold symbols of Arizona. Except when they start withering and dying in record numbers, as happened this summer. The July heat wave, which kept tempera- tures at or above 110 degrees for a sanity- shattering 31 days, was particularly cruel to our cactuses, which require a period of cooling down at night to avoid internal damage. The die-off made national head- lines, accompanied by sad photos of toppled, desiccated saguaros laying desolate in the sun. Tania Hernandez, a research scientist at Desert Botanical Garden, told Reuters plant physiologists suspect the phenomenon was due to the extreme heat and drought brought on by climate change, meaning that our cactuses will continue to be at risk for many years to come. — Jennifer Goldberg MICHAEL 23 June 6 A rich, vibrant arts community doesn’t happen on its own. It requires people to work, to care, to connect, to create. Phoenix lost one such beloved figure this summer when Michael Hudson, better known as Michael 23, died of heart failure at the age of 53. Michael 23 founded the Thought Crime art collective and Firehouse Gallery, but his greatest gift to the Phoenix arts scene was more intan- gible. A friend called him “a contagious dreamer,” someone whose vision inspired others to conceive and create new art, new initiatives and new ideas. Michael 23 may be gone, but his gift lives on. — Jennifer Goldberg ‘SUPERSTAR’ BILLY GRAHAM May 17 Hulk Hogan owes a debt to the late “Superstar” Billy Graham, as do Ric Flair, The Rock and other legendary pro wres- tlers. In the 1970s, Graham portrayed one of wrestling’s most memorable, flamboyant and groundbreaking bad guys, using his charisma, style and physique to redefine the archetype of a big-mouthed villain. As a star in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (now WWE), Graham was a larger-than-life strongman with bleached blonde hair, huge muscles and an even bigger mouth. His bombastic interviews, often filled with Muhammad Ali-like poetry and bragging, established him as a trailblazer in the art of wrestling promos. Born Eldridge Wayne Coleman in Phoenix in 1943, Graham’s journey began with homemade weights in fifth grade. After a stint in the Canadian Football League, he trained under wrestling legend Stu Hart in Calgary, later joining the WWWF and winning its world champion- ship in 1977. Graham never again reached the same heights of success, retiring in 1987. He spent his remaining years dealing with health issues, such as diabetes and congestive heart failure. Following his death in May after an ear and skull infec- tion, many paid tribute to Graham’s influ- ence. According to journalist Dave Meltzer, “If it wasn’t for Billy Graham, this industry would be so much different than it is.” — Benjamin Leatherman RUSSELL PEARCE Jan. 5 The legacy of Arizona legislator Russell Pearce is one of cruelty and hate. Pearce was the primary author of the state’s infamous anti-immigration legislation, Senate Bill 1070, which empowered local police to enforce federal immigration law, leading to a wave of racial profiling by police agencies. It was signed by Gov. Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010. Pearce, 75, died Jan. 5 at his home in Mesa, cause unknown. The statute’s goal was to codify “attri- tion through enforcement” — in other words, ethnic cleansing aimed at the state’s Latino residents. Under SB 1070, which came to be known as the “show me your papers” law, anyone with brown skin was suspected of being present in the U.S. illegally. The backlash against the law led to a costly economic boycott of the state, massive protests and an ACLU court challenge that was only partly successful. Pearce’s hit parade of hate included other racist legislation that he backed, such as an unconstitutional effort to repeal birthright citizenship and a ballot proposi- tion denying in-state tuition to “Dreamers,” young immigrants who were to see protections under never-passed legislation in Congress. The former was unsuccessful, but the latter passed and was repealed by voters only last year. In January 2011, Pearce’s fellow Republicans elected him president of the Arizona Senate, despite his documented ties to J.T. Ready, a prominent Valley neo- Nazi. But Pearce’s reign was short-lived. A coalition of progressive activists and moderate Republicans — many of whom, like Pearce, were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — joined forces in a successful recall effort, booting Pearce from his Mesa Senate seat in November 2011. Pearce’s attempted comebacks fizzled, and his ignominy in death, as it was in life, is well-earned. — Stephen Lemons JACK CHEE JACKSON SR. March 5 Born on the southwestern edge of the Navajo Nation in tiny Leupp, Arizona, Jack Chee Jackson Sr. committed much of his life to serving his beloved people, the Diné. For decades, Jackson was an educator. He taught at Window Rock High School and later held several positions at Diné College (formerly Navajo Community College), including director of the Office of Diné Education and Philosophy, where he worked to integrate Diné beliefs into the college’s curriculum. From 1980 to 1984, Jackson served on the Navajo Nation Council, at which point he was elected to the Arizona House. He served in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature from 1985 to 2004, becoming known as a formidable voice for Diné and other Native people. Jackson advocated successfully for greater education funding for Diné communities, ensuring that they received tax funds that cities and counties in Arizona had long been receiving. During his last term in the Arizona Senate, he served alongside his son, Jack C. Jackson Jr. On March 5, Jackson began his journey to the spirit world at the age of 90. Jackson Sr. was Kinyaa’áanii (Towering House Clan) and born for Áshįįhí (Salt People Clan). His maternal grandfather was Táchii’nii (Red Running into Water Clan), and his paternal grandfather was Todich’ii’nii (Bitter Water People Clan). — TJ L’Heureux The Departed from p 10 >> p 14 Illustration portraits by Luster Kaboom
