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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Race and Faith Summit Nov. 2

John Hill — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 13:22:52 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host the Little Rock Race and Faith Summit on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The free summit for congregation leaders in Arkansas will take place from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave. Members of the Little Rock Congregations Study will share their research with faith leaders in Arkansas as well as some resources they created to help clergy engage in faith-based racial justice work. Dr. Rebecca Glazier, a professor in the School of Public Affairs and the director of the , said that they have always been guided by what’s important to the community. “In 2019, we hosted a Religious Leaders Summit and asked the faith leaders of Little Rock what issues matter most and what we should be focusing on,” Glazier said. “Because of what we learned at that summit, our research team has spent more than two years studying race and faith. We are excited to share what we have learned, provide resources for congregations, and give clergy leaders a space to connect with one another.” In a 2020 study of nearly 2,300 people from 35 diverse congregations across Little Rock, researchers found that the No. 1 issue participants wanted their congregation to do something about was race relations. Further research with clergy members found that 88 percent of them said that Little Rock has a problem with racial division, while 64 percent believe race relations will get better and that clergy are in a position to help make that happen. The event’s featured speakers include Dr. Preston Clegg, pastor of Second Baptist Church Downtown and 2022 recipient of the McCall Racial Justice Trailblazer Award from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas, and Dr. Philip Pointer, pastor of Saint Mark Baptist Church, the largest Black Protestant church in Arkansas. They will discuss the connection between race and faith in Little Rock. During the summit, participants will connect with and share a catered lunch with faith leaders from diverse backgrounds, listen to stories of success and hope from across the city, receive free resources, and commit to take steps in their own congregations and lives to help Little Rock move forward. “Some 25 years ago, city leaders said people of faith should address the issue of race,” said Dr. Gerald Driskill, a professor of applied communication and Little Rock Congregations Study researcher. “The community is tired of just talk and events. Leaders will leave this summit with an action plan informed by current models being used in and beyond Arkansas.” Congregation leaders may register for the free event via . The summit is made possible by an academic grant from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, as well as generous support from faith communities in Arkansas.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Conversation about War in Ukraine May 5

John Hill — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 12:58:40 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will hold a conversation about the war in Ukraine on Thursday, May 5. The event, “,” will be held at 6 p.m. May 5 at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. The event is free and open to the public. Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, will discuss the Russian-Ukraine war, including if the conflict could have been prevented and what actions the international community should take in the present day to deal with the invasion. The event will also look at the United Nations response to the war, the possible role of the International Criminal Court, how to evaluate Russian concerns about NATO, how members of the community can help with the crisis in Ukraine, and how to discern between credible news coverage and misinformation surrounding the war. “The idea for the event emerged after getting frequent questions about the war from members of our community,” said Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “My goal is to provide community members with ideas and resources to help them analyze the multiple dimensions of the conflict that are on their minds.” The event is sponsored by the and Arkansas WAND. For more information, contact Dr. Wiebelhaus-Brahm at ejwiebelhaus@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to Host Civilian Conservation Corps Exhibit During 2nd Friday Art Night

John Hill — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 13:32:40 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown will showcase a special exhibit on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during 2nd Friday Art Night April 8. The Civilian Conservation Corps in Arkansas exhibit, curated by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture, will be on display from 5-8 p.m. at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, located at 333 President Clinton Ave. It was made possible in partnership with the with funding from the . The exhibit is a collaborative work between the Center for Arkansas History and Culture, local archeologists and scientists, historians, and educators to explore the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Arkansas by reviewing its history and visiting the sites as they exist today. The exhibit is an interactive experience based on historical materials from the center’s collections, photographs of CCC-built structures remaining in Arkansas Parks today, essays from scholars around the state written for a broad audience, as well as educational resources based on Arkansas state curriculum standards. Other locations participating in Second Friday Art Night include: Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Bella Vita Jewelry, Old State House Museum, Historic Arkansas Museum, Nexus Coffee & Creative, and Sergio Valdivia Art as well as Central Arkansas Library System through the Bookstore at Library Square and the Galleries at Library Square.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host April 7 Presentation on History of Trail of Tears in Arkansas

John Hill — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 13:20:35 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock historian will give a presentation on the history of the Trail of Tears and the Federal Indian Removal Act in Arkansas on April 7. The presentation, “Little Rock: A Pivotal Point on the Trail of Tears,” will begin at noon April 7 at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. Dr. Daniel Littlefield, director of the Sequoyah National Research Center at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, will discuss Indian removal as federal policy, its implications for Indian affairs for the next century, the origin of the term Trail of Tears, and some of the popular misconceptions about the event. In recognition of Little Rock’s La Petite Roche Tricentennial, participants will learn more about the role that Little Rock played during the removal of the five large tribes from the Southeast United States to new lands west of Arkansas and why Little Rock’s role was so significant. “Geography was a primary reason because Little Rock was the nexus of travel routes through the Arkansas Territory at the time,” Littlefield said. “Little Rock was also a major administrative and economic center for Indian removal west of the Mississippi.” Littlefield said that the Trail of Tears had several surprising results for Arkansas, including early statehood, economic development in the state’s early years, the development of the slave trade in Arkansas, and the founding of some of the “first families” of Arkansas. Participants may register to attend the event in person at or virtually at .

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to Host Faculty Art Exhibit During 2nd Friday Art Night

John Hill — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 13:56:18 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown will showcase a special exhibit of faculty art during 2nd Friday Art Night on March 11. The exhibit featuring works of art from faculty members in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Art and Design will be on display from 5-8 p.m. at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, located at 333 President Clinton Ave. “We are grateful for the energy and enthusiasm of our ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and staff for engaging with the community and participating in arts and culture events like 2FAN,” said Ashley Clayborne, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. “As the ‘front porch’ for the university, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown extends an invitation for everyone to join us in learning, growing, and celebrating together. Events such as this will strengthen all partnerships between the university and the Little Rock community.” Other locations participating in Second Friday Art Night include: Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Bella Vita Jewelry, Old State House Museum, Historic Arkansas Museum, Nexus Coffee & Creative, and Sergio Valdivia Art as well as Central Arkansas Library System through the Bookstore at Library Square and the Galleries at Library Square.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Virtual Lectures to Celebrate National Day of Racial Healing

John Hill — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 16:00:26 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is celebrating the 2022 National Day of Racial Healing with two special virtual lectures. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation started the National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH) in 2013 as part of its new Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiative aimed at revolutionizing the way that foundations fund nonprofits working on social issues. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will join communities and campuses across the state in celebrating a weeklong schedule of events in observance of the National Day of Racial Healing. The first event, “Dave Tell Talks: Remembering Emmett Till,” will take place from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public. Participants may register for the event . ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, Racial Barriers Committee, Student Government Association, and Center for Arkansas History and Culture as well as CALS Roberts Library will present an evening of conversation and learning with Dr. Dave Tell, co-director of the Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities at Kansas University, facilitated by Dr. Guy Lancaster, Arkansas historian and author. Since 2014, Tell has been the lead investigator on the Emmett Till Memory Project, a collaborative, public, and digital humanities project. His 2019 book “Remembering Emmett Till,” tells the complete story of Emmett Till’s commemoration in the Mississippi Delta. Till was a 14-year-old African American teenager who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after he was accused of offending a white woman in her family’s grocery store. Till’s killers were found not guilty by an all-white jury in 1955. They publicly admitted to the crime in a 1956 magazine article. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will also host a virtual panel, “The State of Diversity and Equity in Arkansas,” from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public. Participants may register for the panel . Donald Wood, executive director of Just Communities of Arkansas, will facilitate an engaged conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion in sectors across the state with perspectives from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock scholars and community professionals in education, city management, law, religious studies and cultural affairs. The panelists include:

Dr. Melvin Beavers, assistant professor of rhetoric and writing and inaugural chancellor’s fellow for diversity, equity, and inclusion at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Beavers has been engaged in national conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion with specific attention on antiracist pedagogies and writing assessment.
Tamika Edwards, special advisor to the CEO on diversity, equity, inclusion, and engagement at Central Arkansas Water. She has 20 years of experience in public policy and community development. Prior to Central Arkansas Water, she served as the executive director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College, director of governmental affairs at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, director of public policy at Southern Bancorp Community Partners, and community affairs specialist for former U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
Dr. Rebecca Glazier, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Her research is focused on religion, framing, and U.S. foreign policy. Since 2012, Glazier has directed the community-based research project, Little Rock Congregations Study, which seeks to understand how congregations’ community engagement impacts the community, places of worship, and their members.
Dr. Dionne Jackson, chief equity officer for the City of Little Rock. Jackson has previously served as Hendrix College’s first chief diversity officer and executive director of AR Kids Read.

In addition to the lectures, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will also hold a virtual open mic night from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, with the theme of racial healing. This evening of music, poetry, comedy, and inspiration will be centered around equity, diversity, and healing. Anyone who would like to perform or attend should register . Sponsored by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Racial Barriers Committee and the Graduate Student Association, the evening will be emceed by Ron McAdoo, aka Ron Mc the Hiphoptimist, a nationally recognized spoken word poet, sought out personality, exhibiting professional artist, motivational speaker, actor, author, and seasoned educator. The special featured guest will be Osyrus Bolly, artist and activist, who combines his passion for the arts and social justice to create his own platform for liberation arts. He is also a member of the nationally-ranked poetry slam troupe Foreign Tongues. Visit this website for more information about the 2022 National Day of Racial Healing events.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to Host 2FAN Exhibit of Rock and Roll Graphics

John Hill — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 14:04:46 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown will feature an exhibit of rock and roll graphics from the 1960s and 1970s during Second Friday Art Night on Nov. 12. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, located at 333 President Clinton Ave., will be open from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 12. The exhibit, “Feelin’ Groovy: Rock and Roll Graphics 1966-1970,” will feature handbills and posters from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Permanent Collection of Art, which houses 120 psychedelic examples of graphic design from this era. The exhibit is also sponsored by Downtown Little Rock Partnership and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Art and Design. Other locations participating in 2FAN include: Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Bella Vita Jewelry, Old State House Museum, Historic Arkansas Museum, Nexus Coffee & Creative, and Sergio Valdivia Art as well as Central Arkansas Library System through the Bookstore at Library Square and the Galleries at Library Square.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Welcomes New Staff Members

John Hill — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:43:26 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown operations have expanded with the addition of two new staff members: Ashley Clayborn, director, and Maha Ramzan, office administrator. They are joined by Elizabeth Small, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Real Estate Program and newly appointed director of business networks, who will spend significant time at the Downtown facility. Ashley Clayborn is now heading ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. As the director, she focuses on curating the downtown space for educational and professional programming. The director serves as a university liaison through public relations, community engagement, and relationship management with internal campus stakeholders and external partners. Clayborn earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hendrix College and a master’s degree in communication from the University of Arkansas. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Rural Education from the University of West Alabama. Before joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Clayborn worked as executive assistant to the president at National Park College. She said it was her interest in public engagement through community spaces that led her to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. “When I completed my master’s degree, I wrote a thesis on the ways we use public space to affect identity, whether that is looking at public history or creating spaces for public engagement,” Clayborn said. “I found a passion for public space. Then the pandemic hit and public spaces were no longer safe for my research, so I made a transition from traditional academia to an administrative role at National Park College. I loved the people, and it got me thinking about more applied work engaging with the public and community. This position is the perfect marriage of my professional goals and research interests.” Clayborn also works with the Downtown Little Rock Partnership on the Second Friday Art Night Committee. She looks forward to restarting Friday Art Night celebrations at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown and plans to start with an exhibit of artwork from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Permanent Art Collection for the November event. Maha Ramzan has joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in a dual role as the office administrator for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown and the Sequoyah National Research Center. This position is responsible for the coordination of administrative activities in both centers including day-to-day scheduling, internal communications, and financial management.

Photo of Maha Ramzan by Ben Krain.

Before joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Ramzan worked as a patient guest representative at Baptist Health. Ramzan is a 2021 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management. She also earned an Associate of Liberal Arts and Science from ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Technical College and is pursuing a Master of Business Administration from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Small is now based at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, where she teaches classes in the Real Estate program and works with central Arkansas businesses to explore ways to partner and engage with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Our recent reorganization under CAHC allows us to pivot ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown toward a new focus on education, business, culture and the arts, and civic reflection,” Clayborn said. “We offer classes and educational events at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown as well as work with the university community to connect the upcoming work force from the university with the local business industries.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown is also the home of the Joe Jones mural, “The Struggle in the South,” since 2018. Completed in 1935 at Commonwealth College in Mena, the mural serves as an example of protest art made during the Great Depression. “We want to showcase art exhibits, student creations, and archival materials from the Center for Arkansas History and Cultural to create conversations around the Joe Jones Mural,” Clayborn said. “Dr. Deborah Baldwin views ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown as a space for the community to come together and host seminars, workshops, lectures, exhibits, and educational programming. We want to start conversations that are directed toward increasing civic engagement.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown is open for classes and events under the fourth phase of Covid restrictions. The center can host up to 60 people for a standing reception and 45 people for a lecture or other seated event.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock receives grant to commemorate history of Arkansas civil rights leader William Townsend

John Hill — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 15:23:48 +0000

The Center for Arkansas History and Culture (CAHC) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a grant to explore the cultural and political sphere of Dr. William Townsend, an Arkansas civil rights leader and the first African American licensed to practice optometry in the state. The Arkansas Humanities Council awarded the CAHC an African American History and Culture Grant, which provides funding for nonprofit organizations who wish to research, document, preserve, and interpret the state’s African American history and culture. The $3,799 grant for the project, “Exploring Cultural and Political Spheres: Dr. William H. Townsend, Arkansas Professional and Civil Rights Leader,” will fund the center’s efforts to digitize Townsend’s papers and create a character collection and social media posts highlighting the Townsend papers. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown will also host an exhibit on Townsend in February 2022 to celebrate Black History Month. “Dr. Townsend has a prominent role in politics and the professions in Arkansas,” said Dr. Deborah Baldwin, CAHC director and principal investigator on the grant. “He is a good example in the City of Little Rock of an African American who contributed in a variety of arenas. We have records relating to his service as a legislator and his time as an optician. This is one of our collections that we envisioned would capture the public interest.” Archivists Adrienne Jones and Cody Besett, Laura McClellan, CAHC assistant director, and Dr. Nathan Marvin, assistant professor of history, will take part in the project. Townsend, who passed away in 2005, was known as a trailblazer and is honored on the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail. He was the first African American licensed to practice optometry in Arkansas, one of the first African Americans to serve in the Arkansas House of Representatives since the 1890s, and the first African American to chair the Aging and Legislative Affairs Committee. Townsend was born July 30, 1914, in West Point, Mississippi, but grew up in Earle, Arkansas. After high school, he joined the army during World War II. While he was on duty, he studied at Nottingham University in England. After the war, Townsend became a student at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. In 1950, he graduated from the Northern Illinois College of Optometry. He opened an optometrist clinic in Little Rock not long after graduating. Townsend was very active in Arkansas politics. During the 1950s, he was a founding member and served as the president of the Council of Human Relations. This council helped to desegregate public schools and businesses in the state. He was also a member of the Council of Community Affairs, which was formed in 1961 by a group of black medical professionals. They facilitated the peaceful desegregation of downtown Little Rock in 1963. In 1966, Townsend served as the chairman of the Arkansas Voter Project, a statewide voter registration initiative run under the Southern Regional Council’s Voter Education Project. In 1972, Townsend was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives for the first of 12 terms.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Names Elizabeth Small as New Business Industry Liaison

John Hill — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 13:30:56 +0000

Elizabeth Small, primary instructor for the Real Estate program in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Business, will take on an additional role with the university as director of business networks. will help drive industry engagement and will be based at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown beginning this fall. In this expanded role, she will work with central Arkansas businesses to explore ways to partner and engage with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. This comes as the university is expanding continuing education programs and doing more to promote the work of university faculty, students, and graduates. As Arkansas’s only metropolitan university, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is committed to partnering with industry to better understand its needs and expand the workforce in central Arkansas. “Elizabeth’s reputation as an industry leader is well established,” according to Dr. Ann Bain, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost. “Her ability to understand the needs of the workforce and help coordinate a university response will better support our outreach efforts.” Small earned a bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College and a Master of Business Administration from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Prior to joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she served as chair of PDC Construction and president and CEO of PDC Companies. In addition to being a college instructor, Small is also an Arkansas real estate licensee broker as well as a member of several boards, including the Affordable Housing Association of Arkansas, Rotary Club of Little Rock, Fifty for the Future, and Arvest Bank.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Race and Faith Summit Nov. 2

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Conversation about War in Ukraine May 5

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to Host Civilian Conservation Corps Exhibit During 2nd Friday Art Night

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host April 7 Presentation on History of Trail of Tears in Arkansas

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to Host Faculty Art Exhibit During 2nd Friday Art Night

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Virtual Lectures to Celebrate National Day of Racial Healing

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown to Host 2FAN Exhibit of Rock and Roll Graphics

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Welcomes New Staff Members

����Vlog��ý Little Rock receives grant to commemorate history of Arkansas civil rights leader William Townsend

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Names Elizabeth Small as New Business Industry Liaison