From the Editor:
Welcome to WE NXF, The Nextgen Art of Local Discovery.
Legacy connects us across time — shaping who we are by honoring where we come from. In modern culture, legacy isn’t just about history; it’s about the living, breathing stories unfolding in our neighborhoods every day. In Phoenix, legacy lives in places that bring people together, in businesses that reflect community values, and in the founders and creatives who carry culture forward.
This week, we celebrate that living legacy — from Black-owned spaces that support community entrepreneurship to gatherings and events that root us in shared heritage.
— Lionel Reddick Jr.
Editor-in-Chief
The Art of Local
Local is not small.
Local is foundational.
This publication will:
• spotlight real creators and ideas in real time
• celebrate experience over promotion
• document culture before it’s labeled
This publication will not:
• recycle the obvious
• center trends detached from place
• treat Phoenix as a backdrop
We document momentum.
We value depth.
We move with purpose.
This is WE NXF.
The Art of Local.
The Pulse
Get Interactive Right now with Black focused events and businesses in Phoenix:
Black-Owned Café
Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe A true Phoenix institution, Mrs. White’s has been serving soul food in downtown for decades. Known for fried chicken, smothered pork chops, and warm hospitality. Generations have gathered here after church, during lunch breaks, and for milestone moments.
Community Gathering
Archwood Exchange Founded to build economic power within the Black community, Archwood Exchange has become a cornerstone of Phoenix’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through Buy Black Marketplace events, networking mixers, and business education, it creates space for founders to grow, collaborate, and circulate dollars locally.
Creative Collective
Arizona Black Theatre Troupe (ABTT) is one of the longest-running Black theater companies in the Southwest. For more than five decades, it has produced works that center Black voices, history, and contemporary storytelling — from classic plays to original productions.
The Scout
Get to know a black cultural builder worth knowing:
A Cultural Builder to Watch
Dr. Akua Duku Anokye Founder of the Phoenix Sankofa Initiative, Dr. Akua Duku Anokye is a longtime educator and cultural preservationist dedicated to documenting and amplifying Black history in Arizona. Through walking tours, public talks, and community storytelling projects, she ensures that Phoenix’s Black legacy is visible, accessible, and remembered.
Her work is rooted in one guiding idea: you can’t build forward without knowing what came before. In a rapidly developing city, that mission carries weight.
She isn’t just preserving history — she’s positioning it as power.
The Experience
Here is a place to experience exploration, social content, and genuine local engagement:
A Space Rooted in Culture
Phoenix Center for the Arts Located in the heart of the city, this long-standing arts hub continues to serve as a home for community storytelling, exhibitions, workshops, and performances. Especially during Black History Month, the Center hosts programming that bridges history and contemporary expression — offering space for dialogue, performance, and shared reflection.
If you’re looking to experience living legacy, step into a space where art meets community and history meets the present moment.
The Next
In our upcoming issue: Hidden Phoenix — the tucked-away spaces, overlooked landmarks, and quiet cultural gems that tell the city’s untold stories.
Because sometimes legacy isn’t loud.
It’s waiting to be discovered.
Stay tuned.