- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Newly discovered historic records reveal new details surrounding the Elaine Massacre

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 16:58:52 +0000

As Arkansas honors the 100th anniversary of the Elaine Massacre this year, a University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor and alumnus are uncovering more secrets surrounding one of the worst race massacres in the country’s history.�� Joseph Alley, a 2016 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate and curator of the, recently discovered the minute book of American Legion Post 41 in Helena. The minute book has entries from the post’s inception in 1919, the same year the Elaine Massacre occurred, through 1925. “Dr. Brian Mitchell (assistant professor of history at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock) and I were talking after the Elaine Massacre Conference held at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center on June 1,” Alley said. “He mentioned some of the documents he was still trying to find, and I mentioned we have all of the Women’s Library Association’s original ledgers from 1888 and on. This was the group that founded the Phillips County Library and Museum. As I was initially going through them, there was one book labeled ‘American Legion.’ Low and behold, it was the 1919 minute book ledger.” In September 1919, representatives of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America met with approximately 100 African-American farmers at a church in Hoop Spur, near Elaine, to discuss unionizing. When a group of white men interrupted the meeting, two white men were shot. A mob of an estimated 500 to 1,000 white people stormed through Phillips County, killing black men, women, and children on sight. U.S. troops were called in, and the mob dispersed Oct. 2. Under an entry titled “POST IN ACTION,” the minute book described the actions of local American Legion members in the midst of the Elaine Massacre on Oct. 1, 1919.�� “…members of the Post were summoned to the Court House as a result of the Assassination of a Special Agent… They were among the first to arrive on the scene of the murder and in the subsequent fighting negro rioters.” Two American Legion members and World War I veterans, James A. Tappan and Clinton Lee, died during the Elaine Massacre. The American Legion members adopted “Resolutions of Respect to the Memory of James A. Tappan and Clinton Lee” on Oct. 14, 1919. The men were heralded as war heroes, and their names were later added to a memorial plaque honoring American Legion members killed during World War I, despite the fact that Tappan and Lee did not die during the war.�� The resolutions state that “There has been an insurrection of Negroes in Phillips County, and the lives and property of our citizens have been placed in jeopardy.” The resolutions further say that Tappan and Lee were killed “while in the line of duty… In preserving law and order and defending the lives and property of our fellow citizens from attacks by Negro insurrections.”

Recently discovered American Legion records from Helena, Arkansas, discuss how two American Legion members and World War I veterans, James A. Tappan and Clinton Lee, died during the Elaine Massacre.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Dr. Brian Mitchell, who is studying the records, said the records are significant because they show a history of those who were directly involved in the Elaine Massacre and show some of the motivations behind their actions. “We know that the first interaction that the sharecroppers union had after the Hoop Spur shooting came from a group of deputized American Legion members who had just returned from World War I,” Mitchell said. “One of the things that the minute book reveals are the efforts that were made by the general populace to ensure, even before trial, that the leaders of the Progressive Farmers and Household Workers Union would be sentenced to death.” Following the Elaine Massacre, hundreds of African Americans were arrested and convicted in questionable trials by all-white juries. The most notorious were a group known as the Elaine 12, a dozen black sharecroppers who were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. An account of the American Legion meeting from Oct. 19, 1920, describes a report from the “committee handling question of securing execution of Negroes sentenced to die in connection with insurrection” as well as an approved motion to “demand execution of Negroes convicted” from the insurrection. According to Mitchell, some members of the American Legion were highly motivated to ensure that black men arrested after the Elaine Massacre received the death penalty in order to send a message to the remaining sharecroppers. “The minute book talks about the contacts they (American Legion members) make with the governor and their demands to be part of the investigation,” Mitchell said. “The same people who were in the mob that hunted down people during the massacre then made demands on the governor that the men would be given the death penalty. They wanted the death penalty because they wanted to send an example for other sharecroppers that might consider legal action against them for stealing their wages. This further substantiates the Supreme Court’s ruling in Moore vs. Dempsey that these individuals did not receive a fair trial.”�� While the minute book will not be on display at the Helena Museum, as it is considered too fragile for display, a digital copy will be made available for public access through the Arkansas State Archives at the end of the summer. “Records of groups and organizations add much to our knowledge about the history of a community by offering a different perspective about events than what newspapers or other published sources give us,” said Wendy Richter, director or the Arkansas State Archives and state historian. “Such records often prove to be valuable resources for researchers.” Mitchell plans to study the records and include the information in a book he is writing with Dr. Guy Lancaster, editor of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, and Dr. Grif Stockley, author of “Blood in Their Eyes: The Elaine Race Massacre of 1919.” “Just like these documents appeared out of nowhere, who knows what will pop up?” Mitchell said. “That is why it is so important for us to look at journals, letters, and other historical documents that can tell us more about the Elaine Massacre.” Alley was thrilled that the find will contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding the Elaine Massacre, but gives credit to the collectors of knowledge who came before him on the library and museum boards. “The Women’s Library Association members were fiends when collecting history,” he laughed. “They took each and every opportunity they could to get something added to the museum. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that it ended up in the collection. I half expect to find the skull of Jimmy Hoffa hiding upstairs in the next year.”��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to open Jan. 16

Janea Snyder — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 15:30:34 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock today announced a grand opening for its downtown Little Rock location on Wednesday, Jan. 16. The new multipurpose center at 333 President Clinton Ave. includes a reflection room with a historic mural by American painter Joe Jones and lecture space with state-of-the-art video conferencing technology. The university will hold a ribbon cutting and reception at noon with Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Andrew Rogerson, followed by a program at 6 p.m. The program, “Introducing The Struggle in the South, a Joe Jones Mural,” will be moderated by Sen. Joyce Elliott and will feature Brad Cushman, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Art and Design gallery director and curator; author Guy Lancaster; Dr. Brian Mitchell, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock history professor; Dr. Bobby L. Roberts, former ��Vlog��ý Little Rock archivist and former Central Arkansas Library System executive director; and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student Taemora Williams. Both events are free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP for the evening panel by calling 501-683-5239 or emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu. “This new downtown facility will serve as a bridge to our main campus and as a center for showcasing the best of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,”�� Dr. Rogerson said. “It will offer easy access to university resources, recruitment information, lectures and panel discussions for students, faculty, supporters and guests.” The downtown location will feature Joe Jones’ 1935 mural, The Struggle in the South, which was originally painted in the dining hall at Commonwealth College near Mena, Ark. The artwork includes vibrant and provocative depictions of struggling sharecroppers, coal miners under the watch of an overlord, and a black family in fear and agony of a lynching. Recently restored with a $500,000 grant from the , the 44-by-9 foot mural spans two sides of the reflection room. “This extraordinary work of art will inspire new generations to study, discuss and create their own legacy of social justice and equality,” Cushman said. “As viewers take in this mural and its compelling imagery, we hope they will reflect on their civic responsibility to one another.” Ross Owyong will serve as director of the new center. A graduate of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, Owyong will oversee the use of spaces for meetings, workshops, training sessions and events. For more information about availability or rates, contact Owyoung at rlowyoung@ualr.edu or visit ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown .

��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor publishes chapter in new book on Arkansas lynchings

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 14:45:20 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor is one of 10 authors who contributed to a new book called “Bullets and Fire: Lying and Authority in Arkansas, 1840-1950.” The book explores the history of a century of lynchings in Arkansas.�� In his chapter, Vincent Vinikas, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor of history, wrote about “Thirteen Dead at Saint Charles: Arkansas’s Most Lethal Lynching and the Abrogation of Equal Protection.” “The catastrophe in St. Charles unfolded in 1904,” Vinikas said. “It began when an African-American man hit a white man with a jug, though some claim it was a table leg. The man later grabbed a police officer’s gun and escaped while he was being taken to jail.” �� Throughout the next week, vigilantes killed 13 people through a series of violent episodes. During one incident, a mob forced 60 to 70 African-Americans, including women and children, into an old building that they then planned to burn down. The burning was stopped, but six people were taken from the building and murdered. One man managed to crawl away but was shot to death when he was found the next morning. Vinikas cited “,” a 1995 study of 10 southern states by Stewart Tolnay and E.M. Beck. They tabulated nearly 2,500 black fatalities from mobs between 1882 to 1930, which amounts to a black person being lynched, somewhere in the South, on an average of once a week for almost 40 years. “By the early 20th century, the lynching of African-Americans was as common as it was catastrophic throughout the American South,” Vinikas wrote. �� Guy Lancaster, editor of encyclopediaofarkansas.net, edited the book, “Bullets and Fire: Lying and Authority in Arkansas, 1840-1950.” There were more than 360 lynchings during this time period in Arkansas. The book also featured articles by Kelly Houston Jones, Nancy Snell Griffith, Randy Finley, Richard Buckelew, Todd E. Lewis, Stephanie Harp, Cherisse Jones-Branch, William H. Pruden III, and Lancaster. Vinikas joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1983 and holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Scholars to discuss global violence

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 16:16:15 +0000

Scholars will discuss episodes of racial violence in Arkansas, southeastern Europe, and western Africa during a presentation Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 11 a.m. in the the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Services Center Auditorium. Partners at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock include the Joel E. Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity and the William H. Bowen School of Law. “The Anderson Institute is delighted to host representatives from the as part of its ongoing efforts to connect ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to local, regional, national, and international networks of people working on issues of race and ethnicity,” said Dr. John Kirk, director of the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity. The presentation, “Arkansas, Yugoslavia, and Sierra Leone: Race, Ethnicity, and Violence in a Global Perspective,” will feature talks by three scholars in regional race and violence, followed by a moderated discussion. Scholars and their presentations include:

�� “Sundown Towns: Race and Violence in Arkansas” by Dr. Guy Lancaster, editor of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
�� “Ethnic Space and Genocide in Twentieth Century Southeastern Europe: ��From the Balkan Wars of the 1910s to the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s” by��Dr. Emil Kerenji, applied research scholar, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

�� “Framing in the Making: Race, Violence, and Sex in Sierra Leone” by Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock assistant professor of criminal justice

Audience members can use a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to ask questions of the presenters, view documents, and give feedback during the talks by. �� During the visit, museum representatives will meet with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Andrew Rogerson and Interim Provost Deborah Baldwin to discuss the campus climate on race and ethnicity. This program is part of the “Extrajudicial Violence and Questions of Complicity” series, made possible by the Campus Outreach Lecture Program of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies. Generous support was provided by Jack and Goldie Wolfe Miller and the Robert and Myra Kraft Family Foundation. For more information, please contact Dr. John Kirk at jakirk@ualr.edu.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Newly discovered historic records reveal new details surrounding the Elaine Massacre

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to open Jan. 16

����Vlog��ý Little Rock professor publishes chapter in new book on Arkansas lynchings

Scholars to discuss global violence

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to open Jan. 16

��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor publishes chapter in new book on Arkansas lynchings