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Discover Deep Transformational Life Coaching in Chandler, AZ
Living the human experience is a beautiful, complex journey. It's filled with peaks and valleys of pleasure and pain, both physical and emotional. It seems so simple when we're children, but things change as we grow: we begin to form our own opinions, develop romantic relationships, build a career, and work our way through life. With age comes maturity and personal development, but all too often, we grow older without learning how to manage and accept our emotions, thoughts, and relationships. This causes us to get stuck, and for some, they then stay stuck - trapped in a vicious cycle of self-doubt, judgement and negativity.
Sound familiar? If so, ask yourself if you are suffering from any of the following:
- Unresolved childhood trauma
- Grief, loss, and betrayals in life that you can't get past
- Harmful patterns that keep you stuck in a rut, with no hope of moving forward
- Anxiety about your personal or work life
- Anger, insecurity, and stress that gets the best of you
- Codependency and people pleasing-problems that leave you emotionally bankrupt
- Family or romantic relationship issues that you can't handle or resolve
- Negative thoughts and self-criticizing problems equating to "I'm not good enough" and "I can't succeed."
- Overthinking and racing thoughts that distract you during the day and keep you up at night
- Lack of motivation or purpose in your life
- Low self-worth, self-love, and lack of personal development
If you're struggling because you aren't sure what to do next or how to change your life for the better, know that you aren't alone. Millions of people just like you aren't where they want to be in life. Fortunately, your personal growth life coach in Chandler, AZ, is here to help you reimagine, refocus, and rebuild your life for the better.
Life Coach Services
- Discover Deep Transformational Life Coaching in Chandler, AZ
- We All Suffer at Times. Now, Let's Do Something About It
- The Christy Maxey Difference
- Men's Personal Development Growth Coaching in Chandler, AZ
- Women's Personal Development Growth Coaching in Chandler, AZ
- EMDR Therapy in Chandler, AZ
- Break Out of Your Cage and Be Proud of Your True Self
Services Area


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We All Suffer at Times. Now, Lets Do Something About It
If you're reading this page, chances are you're not exactly happy with how your life is going. And that's okay. You're in a safe place.
Finding the right person to speak with about the personal growth issues in your life is challenging. Some life coaches in Chandler only see you as a transaction - a means to make money and provide unhelpful, mediocre services. Christy Maxey is the anthesis of uneducated, fly-by-night life coaches. She has worked with thousands of people just like you and has built a reputation of helping people as their life coach in Chandler and throughout Arizona, as well as with clients all over the world.
As a former therapist, Christy uses an effective system of evidenced-based concepts, tools, and exercises like trauma-informed coaching, inner child healing and EMDR to uncover true self-worth. Christy's signature system, the Maxx Method, helps develop emotional intelligence and provides life-long skills that will help guide you in relationships with yourself and others.
Remember: you are not broken YOU ARE NOT BROKEN. There is nothing wrong with you. And, it doesn't have to take years of therapy to get the results you are hoping for


The Maxx Method Difference
Many people use go to therapy but see few results. They've tried reading books, listening to podcasts, and maybe even hired a life coach. But at the end of the day, they're still struggling with root issues that cause stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness.
Christy Maxey has developed The Maxx Method, an evidenced-based path to Personal Development, Healing and Emotional Intelligence. When you work with Christy Maxey as your life coach, you will spend your time together getting to the root cause of your problems. You'll answer questions like:
- How are you holding yourself back?
- What limiting beliefs do you have?
- What are you resisting?
- How are self-doubt and judgment keeping you stuck?
- How is your past STILL affecting you now?
- Where is your anxiety coming from?
Often, we don't know the answers to these questions without help. Unfortunately, many therapists and life coaches in Chandler, AZ lack focus. They encourage you to talk about your day, week, and month. They get a general sense of what is bothering you, but before any real work is done, your therapy session is over. In the end, you see few results and you're left reeling with more anxiety and stress than before.
Clients choose Christy Maxey as their personal development life coach because she gets right to the issues without wasting your time. She pulls on her vast experience to heal men and women of all ages, using traditional techniques from psychology and psychotherapy combined with results-oriented coaching. Christy always emphasizes honesty, compassion, and accountability, so you get real benefits and real efficiency with her coaching.
If you're ready to be re-introduced to your authentic self, your journey starts here.
Men's Personal Development Growth Coaching in Chandler, AZ
Men in today's society often fight against strong feelings of stress, anger, and self-defeating patterns that keep them stuck in a rut. Unfortunately, many men are socialized to ignore their feelings and inner experiences. As a men's therapist and life coach for more than 20 years, Christy Maxey has the techniques and experience to break down the barriers keeping men from living the life they want.
Men deserve compassion, but they also deserve high expectations and positive confrontation when necessary. Unlike some life coaches in Chandler, Christy's approach doesn't allow men to hide behind insecurity and grandiosity. Male clients choose Christy because she pushes them to live to their true potential without wasting time.

Coaching Men with Relationship Issues
Relationships don't always come easily and we are not taught how to have healthy, secure relationships. Challenges can be hard to overcome without help. If any of the following problems sound familiar, life coaching with Christy Maxey could be the solution:
- Difficult Relating to Partner
- Repeating Negative Patterns in Relationships
- Feelings of Loneliness
- Feeling Misunderstood

Coaching Men with Stress
Stress is the leading root cause of disease. Although men are taught to "just deal with it," that's not the best answer. With Christy Maxey as your life coach, you can address issues with:
- No Appreciation for Hard Work
- Pleasing Everyone Except Yourself
- Exhaustion without Physical Activity
- Feelings of Unhappiness and Lack of Motivation

Coaching Men with Anger
It's no wonder that men suffer from aggression and anger when we tell them to turn off their emotions. Life coaching can help you overcome:
- Aggressive Behavior
- Outbursts of Anger
- Career Issues
- Relationship Issues
- Verbal Aggression and Abuse
If you're a man open to working through your problems to better yourself, there's good news. Christy Maxey's proven, efficient life coaching system can help you be the father, husband, friend, and self that you truly want to be. With the right tools and guidance, you can live life with less anger and stress. And with the right tools, you can focus on finding your voice without resorting to aggression.
Women's Personal Development Growth Coaching in Chandler, AZ
Women are beautiful, unique individuals. But many seem to suffer from the same universal theme - an inner critic that hinders true growth and sabotages them from a fulfilling, happy life.
As a therapist, Christy Maxey spent much of her time working directly with women just like you. Christy combines an incredible depth of knowledge and guidance with life coaching energy, uncovering your true potential as a woman, free of dysfunction.
Unfortunately, no matter what women do as mothers and employees, many believe that they're never good enough. They feel like they're not worthy, not lovable, and not strong.
If you feel like you're unworthy of success and happiness, it's time for a change. It's time to look in the mirror and take care of yourself, not someone else.
If you're ready to reclaim the life you deserve, your journey to success starts with women's life coaching in Chandler. Here are just a few areas that Christy Maxey helps women break free of the chains that keep them down:


Coaching Women Suffering from Pleasing & Codependency
Many women today do everything for everybody else but don't take time to heal or explore personal development. Personal development growth coaching from Christy Maxey can help you address these common issues:
- Self-Medicating to Cover Up Feelings of Inadequacy
- Feeling like You've Lost Yourself
- People Taking Advantage of Your Kindness
- Over-Providing for Others

Coaching Women with Unpleasant Emotions
Many women are unsure of how to untangle the mess of emotions they go through. Life coaching in Chandler can help you manage your emotions and find the clarity and love you need in your life. Does this sound like you?
- Feelings of Shame and Guilt
- Issues with Your Career or Job
- Unhappiness with Others' Behaviors
- Bouts of Sobbing That Lead to Anxiety and Depression

Coaching Women with Self-Confidence Issues
Though every life is valuable, society triggers many women to de-value themselves as they grow older. One of the core components of Christy's life coaching is to help women value who they are. Self-confidence can help by:
- Highlighting Positive Attributes Over Shortcomings
- Finding Solutions to Confidence Issues
- Teaching You How to Love Yourself, Flaws and All
- Giving You the Tools to Assert Yourself Without Guilt
If you're a woman and you're ready for change, we've got great news. Women's coaching with Christy is all about change and focus. It's active and experiential coaching that will keep you engaged and accountable to yourself. The result? A life bursting with happiness, fulfillment, and joy.
EMDR Coaching in Chandler, AZ
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing, is a powerful technique used to heal people from distressing and disturbing life experiences. EMDR Coaching with Christy Maxey allows the mind to heal from psychological trauma much quicker than traditional therapy methods.
When we go through traumatic experiences, we often associate those events with negative beliefs and emotions like feelings of shame, anger, and inadequacy. EMDR helps the mind reprocess the life-changing event, allowing the client to heal and live a life they love.
Is EMDR Right for You?
Many people are reluctant to try EMDR because of poor results from previous attempts. Christy Maxey's EMDR Coaching includes guided visualization and inner child healing for a more robust approach. This tactic is part of Christy's Maxx Method - a life-changing framework for personal development.
What is the Maxx Method?
You may have received help from a therapist or life coach in Chandler, AZ, in the past, only to fall back into bad habits and self-destruction. If that sounds like you, chances are you never addressed the underlying cause of your problems. You cut the weed but never removed the root.
The Maxx Method is a six-part holistic system of evidenced-based tools, exercises, and concepts, developed to help you achieve maximized personal development.
EMDR and the Maxx Method are not only used for extreme traumas. They can be very helpful for common memories and events that foster feelings of low self-esteem and powerlessness, too. These methods were developed to help manage unpleasant emotions, show you how to find deep love, and heal old wounds that keep you stuck.
EMDR and the Maxx Method could be right for you if you have experienced:
- Social Anxiety
- Loss, Betrayal, and Grief
- Negative Core Beliefs
- Hurt, Anger, and Sadness
- Overthinking
- Low Self-Esteem
- Lack of Confidence

Break Out of Your Comfort Zone and Be Proud of Your True Self
The world is changing. People are finally learning how to manage their own human experiences. But we can't do it alone. Christy Maxey is here to guide you on the path to a positive, guilt-free life. If you're ready to look inward, find peace, and develop the skills to love your true self, you're in the right place. After all, you've been suffering long enough.
When you work with Christy, you'll be on a fast track to the truth - no beating around the bush or wasting time. Christy's methods are gentle but firm, compassionate yet driven. You will learn, you will transform, and you will be happy because it's you who did the work. It's time to face your fears head-on, so you can't play the victim card anymore. You're capable of great relationships, healthy self-confidence, and of doing something with your life. If you're sick and tired of being stuck, this is your chance to get out of that rut.
Ready to learn to value yourself and live the life that you deserve? Contact Christy Maxey today for your free 15-minute consultation.

Free Consultation
Latest News in Chandler, AZ
Chandler Innovation Fair returns to Downtown Chandler Feb. 25
City of Chandlerhttps://www.chandleraz.gov/news-center/chandler-innovation-fair-returns-downtown-chandler-feb-25
CHANDLER, Ariz. – Ready, set, blast off! The City of Chandler and Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) invite the public to the annual Chandler Innovation Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. The free one-day, hands-on event will be in Downtown Chandler, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave., between Buffalo and Boston streets along Commonwealth Avenue.More than ...
CHANDLER, Ariz. – Ready, set, blast off! The City of Chandler and Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) invite the public to the annual Chandler Innovation Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. The free one-day, hands-on event will be in Downtown Chandler, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave., between Buffalo and Boston streets along Commonwealth Avenue.
More than 100 exhibitors from CUSD schools and local technology companies will participate to demonstrate the basics of science and the impact it has on your daily life. There will be plenty of hands-on activities as engineers and other working professionals, student makers and innovators showcase new experiments and science concepts.
Event sponsor Northrop Grumman will launch a model rocket every 30 minutes and their scientists and engineers will have at least 30 interactive activities on display. Northrop Grumman also will have a passport for kids to earn stamps as they complete each activity, including displays and experiments from CUSD. Once the passport is filled out, they may exchange it for certificate.
Intel will have their engineers available to assist the youth with assembling Scribble Bots (STEAM kits). They also will showcase their nonprofit partners, YWCA and Maricopa Community Colleges.
During the event there will be two “See It; Be It!” panel discussions led by the SciTech Institute inside the Chandler Public Library, 22 S. Delaware St., Copper Room. Both panels will feature representatives from a variety of companies including Intel, Northrop Grumman, East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Maricopa Community Colleges among others.
The Chandler Innovation Fair is part of the Arizona SciTech Festival, a statewide movement to promote and celebrate science in our daily lives and to earn recognition for Arizona as a science and technology hub. After competing in the Chandler Innovation Fair, many CUSD students go on to compete in the state festival. This past year, one CUSD student even moved on to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)!
Sponsors of this year’s Chandler Innovation Fair include Northrop Grumman, Intel, NXP, WM of Arizona, Edwards and First Things First.
Free parking for the event is available at The Johnathan parking garage (south of Buffalo Street, east of Arizona Avenue), or The Alexander parking garage (north of Boston Street, east of Arizona Avenue).
For a complete list of exhibitors, visit Chandler Innovation Fair. For more information, or event-related questions, the public may contact Odette Moore with the City of Chandler Economic Development Division at 480-782-3038, or Shannon Prince with CUSD at 480-224-3710.
Media contacts:Stephanie Romero City of Chandler, Public Information Officer 480-782-2231
Bike with the Mayor at Chandler’s 15th Annual Family Bike Ride on April 1
City of Chandlerhttps://www.chandleraz.gov/news-center/bike-mayor-chandlers-15th-annual-family-bike-ride-april-1
CHANDLER, Ariz - Chandler residents are invited to join Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke for a fun and leisurely bike ride along the scenic Paseo Trail during the 15th annual Chandler Family Bike Ride on Saturday, April 1, 2023.This 7.8-mile ride is held in conjunction with Valley Bike Month (April) and will start at 8:30 a.m. at Chandler’s Park & Ride lot, 2100 S. Hamilton St., which is...
CHANDLER, Ariz - Chandler residents are invited to join Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke for a fun and leisurely bike ride along the scenic Paseo Trail during the 15th annual Chandler Family Bike Ride on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
This 7.8-mile ride is held in conjunction with Valley Bike Month (April) and will start at 8:30 a.m. at Chandler’s Park & Ride lot, 2100 S. Hamilton St., which is on the southwest corner of Germann and Hamilton streets, in Tumbleweed Park. The riders will travel east through the park to the Paseo Trail, then ride north along the Consolidated Canal to Tibshraeny Park, followed by a ride back to Tumbleweed Park.
Family Bike Ride participants will receive a free t-shirt while supplies last, and there will be light refreshments, along with information about bicycle safety, transit services and related topics. Plus, when finished, everyone from the Bike Ride will receive a free Kona Ice treat.
Check in and activities begin at 7:30 a.m. From 7:30-8:30 a.m. youth can participate in a Safety Bike Rodeo hosted by Phoenix Children’s Hospital, featuring a bicycle safety course where young cyclists are shown where and how to apply bike safety rules.
Bobs’ Free Bikes will be on-site to collect unwanted bicycles to be repaired and recycled back to children in the community. Whether you are participating in the Family Bike Ride or not, help create magic in the life of a child by dropping your donated bike at the Chandler Park and Ride on Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 7:30 - 10:30 a.m.
All participants are asked to pre-register online. All riders must wear helmets.
If you’re not able to attend the community event or would rather ride in the comfort of your own neighborhood or park, the City will also offer a virtual bike event from March 27 through April 2. Grab your family and friends and ride anytime during the weeklong event. Virtual riders who pre-register will receive a free t-shirt, while supplies last.
“This year is our 15th annual ride and I’ve enjoyed seeing it grow and develop into an even bigger and better event.” Mayor Hartke said. “I’ve made this ride a priority every year. It provides families and businesses with a great opportunity to come together to exercise, make new friends and to celebrate bicycling in Chandler.”
The Chandler Family Bike Ride is presented by the City’s Transportation Policy Division, with support from various City departments. We thank this year’s Chandler Family Bike Ride partners: SRP, Global Bikes, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Chandler BMX, Pedal Haus, Rob Dollar Foundation, Valley Metro, Kiwanis Club of Chandler and Kona Ice.
For more information, contact Nancy Jackson at 480-782-3442 or nancy.jackson@chandleraz.gov.
Breaking barriers: The first Black students to integrate Chandler High School
Nick Cilettihttps://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/chandler/breaking-barriers-the-first-black-students-to-integrate-chandler-high-school
Copy This Embed Code: Ad CHANDLER, AZ — When it comes to dismantling segregation in our schools, there are several key moments many of us think of: The Little Rock Nine, Ruby Bridges, and Brown vs. Board of Education.But years before any of that, there was a group of students here in the Valley whose names may not be in the history books, but their impact is undeniable.More than 70 years later, ABC15 is speaking to one of those barrier breakers."Life is worth living," ex...
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CHANDLER, AZ — When it comes to dismantling segregation in our schools, there are several key moments many of us think of: The Little Rock Nine, Ruby Bridges, and Brown vs. Board of Education.
But years before any of that, there was a group of students here in the Valley whose names may not be in the history books, but their impact is undeniable.
More than 70 years later, ABC15 is speaking to one of those barrier breakers.
"Life is worth living," explains Willie Arbuckle. "I'm 90 years old, and I enjoy life."
Any conversation with Arbuckle is like a journey through our state's past.
"Mostly cotton," Arbuckle says. "There was a lot of cotton in Arizona."
At 90 years young, Arbuckle has seen history change before his eyes, but he's also made some history of his own. It all took place on the footsteps of Chandler High School. He may not have known it at the time, but Arbuckle was about to do something no one else in his community had ever done before.
Ciletti: "At the time, did you see yourself as a trailblazer?"
Arbuckle: "No. To me at the time, we were not doing anything special we were just going to high school."
But he was also breaking barriers.
Arbuckle and his younger sister, Joella, along with Robert and Artie Mae Turner, were the very first black students to ever attend Chandler High School. The four teenagers helped to end decades of segregation. Arbuckle was a junior at the time, and despite the history he was making, he tells me he felt invisible at the time.
"I remember being ignored," Arbuckle says. "I think it was as strange for them as it was for us...The four of us in a sea of white children. You didn't know we were there...I was just trying to exist. I was just trying to get through each day peacefully."
Arbuckle says eventually, the black students and white students grew to be friendlier with one another, describing them as "good acquaintances."
But Arbuckle still remembers leading very separate lives in a still very segregated Arizona.
"Once you left the campus, the white kids would go to their neighborhood. We'd go south to the southside, our neighborhood, and act like we didn't even know each other."
Although Arbuckle now realizes how harmful segregation was, he said growing up, it was just a way of life because it was all he had ever known.
"We'd go to a drug store, get an ice cream cone, or a soft drink and they would serve you and send you out the door. You couldn't eat it or drink it in there. You'd go to a restaurant and you'd go around the back door, they'd give you a hamburger out the back door. We were fine with that - because we didn't know anything else. That's the way life was."
It was a painful time in Arizona's history and America's history. It may have seemed routine for Arbuckle at the time, but more than 70 years later, he now appreciates and honors the barriers he helped break for the ones that would continue the march toward equality - and it all started with a few brave steps.
"It was earth-shaking when you look back at it...the fact that I, along with the other three, the four of us were actually involved in an event, the absolute beginning of a new era in the school system in Chandler - that is mind-boggling. I am so proud of that, really, really proud of it. And all I had to do was just show up in school."
Later that same school year, four more black students would come to Chandler High School. Arbuckle and Robert Turner would become the first black students to graduate from Chandler High School in 1951.
The history of segregation in Arizona schools
Chandler High School integrated in 1949, even though school segregation wasn't outlawed in Arizona until 1953. The following year, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education, would pave the way for schools across America to end segregation.
Why did Chandler High School end segregation sooner than the rest of the state?
We've spoken to a number of historians who all have different reasons why Chandler Unified may have ended segregation sooner than the rest of the state.
Arbuckle says his mother and several other parents had petitioned the school board a number of times and were not going to take no for an answer. According to Arbuckle, they also spoke to our state's governor at the time.
There was also tremendous growth happening in the East Valley at the time, partly because of Williams Air Force Base.
Also, Carver High School, a school dedicated to students of color in Phoenix, was beginning to get more crowded; the school reportedly told other districts they were no longer to accept students from outside the Phoenix city limits.
Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Google Fiber plots more expansions in Colorado and Arizona
Jeff Baumgartnerhttps://www.lightreading.com/broadband/google-fiber-plots-more-expansions-in-colorado-and-arizona/d/d-id/783191
Google Fiber's revised expansion plan in several states took another step forward this week with an announcement that it will expand services to Westminster, Colorado, and Chandler, Arizona. The move will pit Google Fiber up against incumbents that include Comcast and Lumen in Colorado, and Cox Communications and Lumen in Arizona.Google Fiber said it has inked deals with the city of Westminster, with plans t...
Google Fiber's revised expansion plan in several states took another step forward this week with an announcement that it will expand services to Westminster, Colorado, and Chandler, Arizona. The move will pit Google Fiber up against incumbents that include Comcast and Lumen in Colorado, and Cox Communications and Lumen in Arizona.
Google Fiber said it has inked deals with the city of Westminster, with plans to start construction later this year and to sign up its first customers in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Chandler City Council approved a license agreement last night that enables Google Fiber to build a fiber network. Similarly, Google Fiber expects to start construction later this year and to start offering services in early 2024.
This latest expansion follows earlier Google Fiber expansions into Lakewood, Colorado, and Mesa, Arizona.
Expansion talks continue
That work follows word from Google Fiber CEO Dinni Jain that the company was in talks with city leaders in five states – Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Idaho – about expanding fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) services to various communities.
Meanwhile, Google Fiber is preparing to introduce 5-Gig and 8-Gig speed tiers later this year, with initial tests to be run in markets such as Utah, Kansas City and West Des Moines. Current tiers offer symmetrical 1-Gig starting at $70 per month, and 2-Gig down by 1-Gig upstream for $100 per month.
Here's an updated view of Google Fiber's current and planned service deployments, and if the deployment is focused on FTTP or the Webpass fixed wireless access platform:
Table 1:
Market | FTTP or Webpass |
Atlanta, Georgia | FTTP |
Austin, Texas | FTTP |
Chandler, Arizona | FTTP |
Charlotte, North Carolina | FTTP |
Chicago, Illinois | Webpass |
Denver, Colorado | Webpass |
Des Moines, Iowa | FTTP |
Huntsville, Alabama | FTTP |
Idaho | FTTP* |
Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri | FTTP |
Lakewood, Colorado | FTTP |
Miami, Florida | Webpass |
Nevada | FTTP* |
Nashville, Tennessee | FTTP |
Oakland, California | Webpass |
Omaha, Nebraska | FTTP |
Orange County, California | FTTP |
Provo, Utah | FTTP |
Salt Lake City, Utah | FTTP |
San Antonio, Texas | FTTP |
San Diego, California | Webpass |
San Francisco, California | Webpass |
Seattle, Washington | Webpass |
The Triangle, North Carolina | FTTP |
*Google Fiber FTTP deployments coming to cities yet to be announced. (Source: Google Fiber and Light Reading research) |
'The story needs to be told': First Black students to integrate Chandler High to be honored
12news.comhttps://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/first-black-students-to-integrate-chandler-high-school-to-be-honored-saturday/75-dd0b707c-930a-43f2-91d9-fd2a5e844264
Seventy-four years ago, they walked into Chandler High School for the first time, leading to the school’s desegregation back in 1949.CHANDLER, Ariz. — Decades have passed since Willie Arbuckle walked through Chandler High School for the first time.“Looking back, I guess it was a momentous occasion,” Arbuckle said.Now, Arbuckle sees the history he was a part of in 1949.“It was totally historical changing, you know...
Seventy-four years ago, they walked into Chandler High School for the first time, leading to the school’s desegregation back in 1949.
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Decades have passed since Willie Arbuckle walked through Chandler High School for the first time.
“Looking back, I guess it was a momentous occasion,” Arbuckle said.
Now, Arbuckle sees the history he was a part of in 1949.
“It was totally historical changing, you know, and I had nothing to do with it except I was there and I was a student,” Arbuckle said.
Arbuckle, who’s 90 years old, wasn’t just a junior student at the 35-year-old high school but one of the first eight Black students the City of Chandler is honoring for integrating the school.
“At the beginning of the year, there were four of us, Robert Turner, Artie Mae Turner, Willie Arbuckle - me - and my sister Joella (Arbuckle),” Arbuckle said.
Ernestine Jackson, Willie Ruth Payne, J. L. Payne, and Nina Loftan will also be recognized as part of the City of Chandler’s 2022 Celebration Plaza honorees for integrating Chandler High School.
Arbuckle and Robert Turner are recognized as the first Black students to graduate from Chandler High in 1951.
“Coming to an integrated environment was totally different,” Arbuckle said. “I didn’t know what to expect, really, how to react.”
The school was integrated five years before the Supreme Court of the United States decided in 1954 to integrate schools across the US in the Brown vs. Board of Education decision.
While it was a moment in history to have Chandler High School desegregated, Arbuckle remembers the first day of school differently.
“It was totally uneventful. It was as if we didn't exist. We were invisible. Not in a bad way,” Arbuckle said.
In class, Arbuckle said the students of different races didn’t talk to one another and didn’t outside of school either.
“No one made trouble. Didn’t have any racial slurs that I can remember. Which was a good thing. And we just went through each day like that,” Arbuckle said.
Arbuckle’s cousin, Ernestine Jackson Johnson, is also being recognized by the city as being among the first eight Black Chandler High students.
Johnson, who’s 87 years old now, came to the school her sophomore year after attending an integrated school in California her freshman year. Before that, Johnson said she went to Chandler’s Goodyear School in eighth grade.
“There were some rough moments that first year, but a lot of the kids said, ‘We like it,’’ Johnson said.
Johnson remembers her Chandler High School home economics teacher saying that Black female students couldn’t eat at a nice restaurant on a field trip to Phoenix.
“We said, ‘We're not going if we can't go eat with them.’ There were people in that class that said, ‘If you can't go and eat with us, I'm not going,’” Johnson said.
Both Arbuckle and Johnson recall how, while the campus itself changed, the city itself hadn’t.
“It was just a time of complete segregation, everywhere but Chandler High School,” Arbuckle said.
“We could never it in any restaurants or buy ice cream on the corner drug store,” Johnson said.
Now, they want people to know the reality of what 74 years ago was like.
“The story needs to be told; people need to know about it. Not so much because it was me, but because it happened. It’s total history,” Arbuckle said.
The eight Black students who integrated Chandler High will be honored on Saturday, January 28, at 9 a.m. at the Celebration Plaza inside Tumbleweed Park in Chandler.
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