AR History

In the final episode of the Taking What They Can Carry: Forced Migration in Arkansas series, we're joined by Dr. Michael Pierce at the HumanitiesAR Next Gen(eration) Humanities Conference. Dr. Pierce discusses the case of Nelson Hackett, an enslaved man who escaped bondage in Arkansas by fleeing to Canada but was extradited back to Arkansas. Hackett’s story not only to document a single man’s incr...

Join us for a lecture presented by Dr. Kenneth Barnes, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Barnes covers a history of the Ku Klux Klan in Arkansas from the 1890s through the 1900s and how this history continues to resonate today. The statements and opinions expressed in the video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Arkansas Human...

On this episode of Taking What They Can Carry, we're joined by Dr. Blake Perkins to discuss a brief history of Lawrence County, Arkansas. Dr. Perkins details the actions of a group of white men who used nightriding, mob violence, and other terrorism tactics in their attempts to make the town of Walnut Ridge all white. Despite being unsuccessful in completely removing the area's Black residents, th...

Join Stephanie Harp, an independent researcher, as she uncovers the historical impacts of the Flood of 1927, a surge of mob violence that resulted in the last lynching in Little Rock, and the how both lead to an exodus of Black residents from Arkansas's capitol city.

Join Phoenix Smithy for Spatial Segregation in Central Arkansas: A Brief Examination of Dark Hallow, Urban Renewal, and the Construction of I-630 in Little Rock and North Little Rock, Arkansas. Smithy discusses a brief history of Dark Hollow, a predominantly Black neighborhood located in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and the changes its residents endured with the construction of a major highway in...

Join Dr. Joseph Key for a discussion on the expulsion of Indigenous Peoples from Arkansas. Dr. Key begins in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase and from there shows how various treaties effectively caused dispossession and expulsion, including the Treaty of 1824 that removed the Quapaw from the Arkansas Territory, and how settlers coming from the east led to forced displacement of Indigenous Peoples...

Dr. Brian Mitchell has returned to discuss the Arkansas Act 151 of 1859 (Act to Remove the Free Negroes and Mulattos from the State). Also known as Arkansas's Free Black Expulsion Act of 1859. Dr. Mitchell provides insight into the justification behind the exile of Arkansas's free Black population and what happened to those communities as a result.

Join Dr. Heather Zbinden as she discusses Japanese internment camps Rohwer and Jerome. During WWII, the U.S. government forcibly removed over 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes on the West Coast. They were incarcerated in camps throughout the nation, where many remained until the end of the war. Located in Southeast Arkansas, Rohwer and Jerome held nearly 17,000 Japanese Americans between...

Join Dr. Brian Mitchell as he discusses his research into Frank Moore, a leader of the Elaine branch of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America and one of the Elaine Twelve sentenced to death but whose sentence, along with the other eleven Elaine defendants, was commuted. Moore and the other defendants were freed from jail upon receiving indefinite furloughs. Dr. Mitchell shows how...

Throughout Arkansas’s history, various racial and ethnic groups have been forcibly displaced as a result of racism and hate. Focusing on a number of these historical events, Taking What They Can Carry: Forced Migration in Arkansas, examines what happened, the aftermath, and how these events shaped the affected communities. Join Dr. Richard Buckelew and Dr. Michael Anthony for this general session...

While driving down Broadway, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is a hard building to miss and for episode four of ARHistory Podcast season two that’s just where Asya P found herself. Serving as a museum, gathering place, and an unorthodox community center, Mosaic is headed up by Quantia (Key) Fletcher. This week listen as Key and Asya P discuss Mosaic, Key’s start in museums, and career development....

Taking it back to Summer 2020 for episode three of ARHistory Podcast season two with Dawn Jeffery. One leader of Arkansas BLM and the cofounder of the Little Rock Freedom Fund, Dawn Jeffery works tirelessly to help Arkansas achieve a better, more equipable future. Little Rock Freedom Fund offers bail support, legal defense support, community organizing support, and so much more across the state. H...

Asya P went on a little road trip for episode two of ARHistory Podcast season two to Helena, Arkansas. Delta Dirt Distillery is the first and only Black owned distillery in the state of Arkansas and the only Black owned farm to bottle distillery in the country. Offering a unique vodka recipe, they are already making waves and winning awards after only two years of business. Hear about how all this...

Get ready for season two of ARHistory Podcast hosted by Asya P! This season focuses on current Arkansas history makers impacting the state right now. History doesn’t have to be 50 years ago and these people prove it. First up is Mayor Jaylen Smith from Earle, Arkansas, the youngest mayor in the country at 18 years old. Hear more about his journey to office on season two of ARHistory Podcast episod...

Most of you LOVED the Crater of Diamonds State Park episode from last season. So here is another state park story.  In this episode, I sat down with Mary Buchman, the Superintendent of Crowley's Ridge State Park, to discuss the history of the park, recreational activities and programs, and potential careers available in state parks.  For more information: Encyclopedia of Arkansas entry o...

Arkansas has one of the only places in the entire world where the public can dig for diamonds and take what they find home with them! In this episode, I spoke with Waymon Cox. He has been at Crater of Diamonds State Park for over 13 years. We discussed the history and geology of this fascinating place.  For more information about Crater of Diamonds: Crater of Diamonds State Park For informati...

Arkansas housed two internment camps where Japanese-Americans were kept for the duration of World War II. In this episode, Kim Sanders, the former Confinement Site Interpreter for the Butler Center of Arkansas Studies, discusses the history of Jerome and Rohwer and how this history can help us address continued injustices in the present.  For more information on Japanese Internment in Arkansa...

In Fall 1919 the small town of Elaine, Arkansas erupted in violence. White mobs fearful that African American sharecroppers were organizing to fight for higher wages launched massive  and violent assaults against the Black population. The death toll was in the hundreds. For this episode, I interviewed Lisa Hicks Gilbert, a descendant of two of the Elaine 12 and founder of the Descendants of E...

This episode examines the often untold story of Hoxie desegregation in 1955. Ethel Tompkins, the first African American graduate of Hoxie High School, provides a first-hand account of what it was like during that era. Jim Barksdale is also featured in this episode. He recounts stories his mother and aunt told him about that time period in their lives.  To donate to the Hoxie museum fund: Hoxi...

In this episode, we examine the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812. Dr. Conevery Bolton Valencius, author of The Lost History of the New Madrid Earthquakes , explains how the earthquakes altered the geography of the New Madrid Seismic Zone and forever changed the lives of Indigenous peoples in the area. She also provides some insight into why we should care about these earthquakes today.  Fo...

In this episode you follow me and my friends Wesley and Sydney on a day trip through some remote parts of the Delta.  For more information: Louisiana Purchase State Park Craig's BBQ Czech National Cemetery Central Delta Depot and Museum Sister Rosetta Tharpe William Bunch/Peetie Wheatstraw For more information about our sponsor: The Arkansas Humanities Council

This episode examines the Bracero Program in Arkansas. Dr. Justin Castro, Chair of the History Department at Arkansas State University and scholar of modern Latin America, explains its impact on immigration and civil rights movements in Arkansas and beyond.  For more information on the Bracero Program: Castro, Justin, "Mexican Braceros and Arkansas Cotton: Agricultural Labor and Civil Rights...

In this episode, I sit down with independent scholar and researcher Tara Laperano to discuss Danielle Bunten Berry. Berry was a video game developer in Little Rock. We discussed her contributions to technology and how her significance to Arkansas History goes far beyond video games.  Check out this Encyclopedia of Arkansas article for more information about Danielle Bunten Berry .  Speci...

This episode introduces you to The Arkansas Humanities Council. In addition to discussing some of the grant opportunities and education initiatives the AHC offers this episode includes interviews with Jama Best, Executive Director; Tamisha Cheatham, Community Outreach Coordinator; Ann Clements, Education Outreach Coordinator, Joseph Key, Board Chair.  For more information and access to grant...