On September 7, we had the honor of leading a discussion with Celia Concannon and Gustavo Lozano, two longtime residents and educators from ambos Nogales, who have spent years teaching music and theater in local schools. We then had a Q&A with audience members, which you’ll hear at the end. The event was held downtown in Nogales, Arizona, on Morley Avenue, at the beautiful Wittner Museum, which is brimming with amazing, whimsical paintings by Paula Wittner, who lives in nearby Patagonia.

The event kicked off an exciting new oral history project called “The Border Before,” which aims to elevate the voices and perspectives of border residents and examine how politics, migration, and border security policies have affected border communities in the last two decades.

“The Border Before” is the brainchild of the nonprofit organization Voices from the Border, with the help of the Sierra Club, The Patagonia Museum, La Linea art studio, the Pimeria Alta Museum, and We Love Nogales. A very special thanks to Maggie Urgo, India Aubry, Evan Kory, and others for organizing this event.

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