Helen Katherine Mason’s vision and dedication opened new frontiers for youth of color and built bridges between races and ethnicities.  Born December 28, 1912 in Phoenix, Helen was the oldest of five children. Three years before her birth, the Territorial Legislature had passed a law allowing Arizona school districts to segregate African-Americans from students of other racial backgrounds. She grew up in a segregated city, with minorities separated from the white community in housing, restaurants, theaters, hotels, clubs, and swimming pools.

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Helen graduated from Phoenix Union Colored High School and soon moved to Los Angeles, where she attended the Frank Wiggins Trade School graduating as a cosmetologist. She returned to Phoenix during World War II, married Carl Mason, and raised five children. In 1958 she graduated with distinction from Arizona State University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Recreation. She joined the City's Parks and Recreation Department and worked her way through the ranks, retiring after 23 years of dedicated service. She was the first African-American woman to reach the level of Supervisor within the Department.

 

At work, Helen saw that African-American youth and adults were not receiving the same opportunities for cultural enrichment and expression as members of the white community. She  became known for establishing innovative youth programs at East Lake Park, including art, dance, and theater classes for under-served youth. Soon she was approached by a small group of inner-city students who loved to write and recite poetry. Together, they formed a troupe that began performing in parks, schools, community meetings, and the Sydney P. Osborn Housing Project, growing more popular over time as they showcased their talents for singing, acting and dancing.

 

With a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and support from the black community, Helen founded the Black Theater Troupe in 1970 and became its first Executive Director. The theater was the first of its kind in the Four Corners area. Through Helen’s hard work, the Theater became an oasis in providing a much needed platform for showcasing cultural diversity through the performing arts and for giving a voice to the rich legacy of people of color. Helen was instrumental in guiding the lives of hundreds of African-American youth in positive directions through music, art, dance, and sports.

 

Today the Black Theater Troupe continues her legacy, conducting educational workshops and outreach programs that focus on low-income and under-served communities and give people of color ooportunities to perform.