This year's annual HERstory series kicks off with Annie Watkins, an impactful historical figure for Flagstaff's African American community who shaped local politics and education. She also helped found the Flagstaff chapter of the NAACP and helped integrate local institutions in the 1950s.

This week's episode of Valley101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, shines a light on Annie Watkins and the role she played in Flagstaff politics and education — and how influential women like herself have been outcast in Arizona's history.

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