Dr. Josephine Pete, Contemporary Inductee, is a community activist, educator and mentor. She believes in the transformative power of education. Her belief is “The cost of educating is great; the cost of not educating is greater.” Her pioneering roles as the first Black, female principal at South Mountain High School (SMHS) in Phoenix, Arizona and the first woman Deputy Superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District bear witness to her grace, courage, determination and unapologetic pursuit of excellence.

Dr. Pete, came as a young girl with her family from Arkansas to the Phoenix area. They settled in Okemah, a small, close-knit neighborhood of Black homesteaders created in the 1920s. This neighborhood, south of the Salt River between roughly 32nd and 48th streets and bounded by East Broadway Road on the north, was one of the few places in Phoenix where Black families could buy property and live. Josie attended all Black elementary schools in the Roosevelt School District. Despite the old, tattered schoolbooks the district provided these segregated students, Josie developed a fierce love of learning that has stayed with her throughout her life.

Dr Josie is recognized locally and nationally for her steadfast commitment to building models of success, diversification, and addressing gender, racial and ethnic concerns. Her leadership and insight have been instrumental in assessing issues and providing constructive ideas for problem resolution. She helped bring South Mountain Community College into existence in 1980 and was a member of the original faculty. In the 1970s and 1980s population shifts from the inner city to the suburbs, poverty, and racial tensions resulted in a period of civil discontent which disrupted the school learning environment. She was a familiar personality in Phoenix inner city communities. A trained mediator she was called in to conduct workshops in non-violent crisis intervention, assist with conflict resolution and address student unrest on school campuses.

In 1984, a court order stemmed from a lawsuit alleging segregation practices and unequal resource allocation within the Phoenix Union High School District concluded that the district had engaged in policies that racially segregated its schools. In 1984, South Mountain became a magnet school. During this year, Dr. Pete became the first female to be appointed principal of South Mountain High School, her alma mater. She put her favorite quote into action, “Parents don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care,” by involving parents. She welcomed them on campus and encouraged school visitation. She often called for parental involvement in the development and governance of school programs and policies. She facilitated necessary adjustments that ensured that the administrators, teachers, students and their families understood and then addressed the practices and traditions that threatened academic excellence and learning communities for all.

The same year she became principal, she took on a major challenge that shaped the school’s identity. The school mascot was the confederate rebel, an image that didn’t represent the students of South Mountain, the majority of whom were Black or Mexican American. To create a more positive school image, Dr. Pete guided a collaborative effort involving school personnel, parents, students, and members of the community to change the mascot from the Rebels to the Jaguars.

Under Dr. Pete’s leadership, SMHS developed Visual and Performance Arts, Aviation and Legal Studies magnet programs which addressed the desegregation issue, increased enrollment, reduced the number of student drop-outs, and increase the graduation rate. South Mountain became one of the largest schools in the state. To further expand and enhance the desegregation process, the district instituted the Co-Principal concept. Dr. Pete and Dr. Rene Diaz shared the school leadership. During the next few years, she spent countless hours attending community meetings and creating innovative programs on the campus. Through her efforts many positive changes were made in school community relations.

In 1990 Dr. Pete was promoted to the position of Executive Director of Human Relations of the District. In this position she supervised the District Human Relation Specialist and coordinated the Human Relations Activities on the twelve high school campuses. Her duties also included working closely with the city of Phoenix Police Departments’ School Resource Officers to ensure a safe and orderly learning environment on each campus. She later became the Assistant Superintendent of Community Relations of the Phoenix Union High School District.

In 1996, Dr. Pete became Deputy Superintendent of the District.

Dr. Pete as an active member of the South Mountain SDA Church has served in the positions of Youth Director, Board Member, Church Clerk, 1st. Elder, Head Usher/Greeter, and Youth Sabbath School Teacher. In 2005, when the flood victims of Hurricane Katrina were being relocated to Phoenix from Louisiana, her care and concern for others was demonstrated as she was compelled to assist in addressing the needs of the Katrina Hurricane evacuees. She and her Husband Louis, lead the charge to create The Katrina Bed and Bath Program.

The local community project, with the support of her pastor and church members, soon became a state wide program. This project was supported by donations from community organizations, the Arizona Business Community and the Seventh-Day Adventist Churches in the Arizona Conference. Needed supplies and funds were sent to cities throughout the state. Funds were used to purchase grocery and personal items, also to provide short term housing. Josie and Louis were able to assist in this area as they were both licensed realtors. Dr. Pete also worked diligently with parents and school officials to enroll students in nearby schools. Once the Arizona needs were met, supplies were shipped to the Keene, Texas Center to assist the evacuees located in the Texas area.

She has devoted time to serve her community by serving on a number of boards and committees. Past member of The American West Airlines Education Foundation Board, Attorney Generals’ African-American Advisory Committee, Pacific Union College Education Board, Phoenix Memorial Hospital Board, City of Phoenix Drug Commission, Community Network for youth, and the Minority Crime Task Force Education Committee. She served on the committee to name a Phoenix Union High School in honor of Betty H. Fairfax a dedicated long time African American district educator.

Dr. Pete is recognized in an Arizona History textbook entitled, ‘Arizona, Its Place in the United States. She has been listed as one of Arizona’s most influential African-Americans by the Arizona Informant Newspaper. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Chase

Bank Outstanding Principals Award, the Phoenix Fire Department J.W. Robinson Society of Black Firefighters Dedicated Citizens Award, the National Coalition of 100 Back Women’s Legend Award, the H.B. Daniels Bar Association, Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Award,

the NAACP Outstanding Educators Award, and the Diana Gregory Outreach Services Community Service Award.

Although she is retired, her influence and her career as an educator continue. She believes that our legacy is determined by what we do for others. She is a Golden Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Tempe Alumna Chapter, and a Life member of the Maricopa County Chapter of NAACP. She continues to volunteer for the Diana Gregory Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Veterans Program. She serves as an advisor to the Okemah Historical Community Foundation Board, and a member of the Arizona Historical League.

She often accepts speaking engagements to encourages youth to stay in school and pursue higher education. She is the proud mother of two daughters, three grandsons and two great-grandchildren.

Dr. Pete’s commitment to education, purposeful and compassionate relationships and the cultivation of women leadership in the education system has made significant impacts. She not only opened the doors for other women and African Americans to follow. She invited them to come with her. Dr. Summer Cherland said of her, “It is through Josie’s life that we learn how one life, lived locally and simply, can have sweeping impacts on state, regional and national history.”