BIO
Mel Hannah
Mel Hannah accomplished many “firsts” during his 84 years. In addition to being the first elected Black city councilor in Flagstaff (1974-1986), he was the first and only Black elected Coconino Supervisor, and a member of the undefeated Lumberjack football team that was the first to compete in a national college bowl (1957-58). During his many years in political office, Mel advocated for greater governmental responsiveness to social concerns and needs of residents—particularly African Americans, Latinx/Hispanics and underrepresented groups. He was a leader in the NAACP, a founder of the Arizona Commission on African American Affairs, and an enduring political advisor and elder statesman for campaigns of progressive legislators throughout the region.
Hannah migrated to Winslow, Arizona, when his father and mother moved from Texas to the Southwest. He graduated Winslow High School in the 1950s and attended Eastern Junior college before transferring to Arizona State College (currently NAU) to major in music, social work, and compete as a running back for the the football team. In addition to his civic accomplishments, Mel was a saxophonist who toured with noted Blues guitarist and fellow Winslow resident, Tommy Dukes. In 2022 he helped advise a slate of Democratic Party candidates to take control of the offices of Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General—overcoming “fringe” candidates who backed election denials affiliated with former President Trump.
A devoted member of Riverside Church of God in Christ, Hannah was renowned for his ability to speak to constituents of various political backgrounds on the right and on the left, to achieve a working consensus for social betterment.
#36, Mel Hannah stopped after 23 yard gain
Concilman Mel Hannah's letter to Mayor & Council regarding sweeping tax proposal
What Everyone Needs to Know about Mel J. Hannah
1. Mel Hannah’s family migrated from Texas to Winslow, Arizona in the 1930s and welcomed dozens of African Americans who settled in the Southwest to escape Jim Crow Segregation.
2. Mel was a noted saxophonist and musician who toured with famed blues guitarist Tommy Dukes from Winslow throughout the southwest.
3. Mel transferred from a small regional college (Eastern Arizona College) to Arizona State College (now called Northern Arizona University) and was a member of the undefeated Lumberjacks Football team in 1957. (Record was 8-0)
4. It was the first NAU football team to go to the NAIA national football championship and appear on national television.
5. After being warned by Coach Max Spilsbury about racism they would face in the South, Mel and his teammates encountered Jim Crow segregation for the first time while preparing for the bowl game in St Petersburg, Florida—which they lost 19-13 to Northeastern College out of Oklahoma.
6. He was the first African American elected to city council (1974), and served 12 years.
7. He was also the first (and only) African American to serve on the Coconino County of Supervisors.
8. Mel J Hannah attended Riverside Church of God in Christ, under Rev. Raymond Flemons, during the 1960s and 1970s.
9. The Hannah family helped Hollywood actress Erika Alexander and her family settle in Winslow and later in Flagstaff in the 1960s.
10. In later years, Mel was a founder of the Arizona Commission on African American Affairs, and worked for Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, and assisted many other political campaigns—including Governor Katie Hobbs and Secretary of State Adrien Fontes (2022).
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More Information:
Oral History with Mel Hannah. July 8, 2010. Cline Library:
https://archive.library.nau.edu/digital/collection/cpa/id/103634/
Arizona Republic, Obituary. January 13, 2023.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/01/13/mel-hannah-civic-leader-in-
flagstaff-and-phoenix-dies-at-84/69804354007/
Black History Month: Remembering Arizona icon Mel Hannah. Feb. 22, 2023.
https://www.azfamily.com/2023/02/22/black-history-month-remembering-arizona-icon-mel-hannah/