- 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 researcher uncovers history of black activism during World War I

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 23:10:17 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate student is shedding light on long-overlooked contributions black communities in Arkansas made to the World War I effort.�� Crystal Shurley, an archivist at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies who completed her Master of Arts in public history in December 2018, wrote her thesis on the history of the Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council, an early archivist group that was active during World War I and has remained a relatively undocumented part of Arkansas history. “This is an important piece of black Arkansas history that has not been investigated,” Shurley said. “I think it’s important that we remember that history is made by everyone, and not everyone that is a history maker is a white male. Unfortunately, in history we often focus on people who are in the limelight instead of ordinary people who have worked hard to achieve great things and often get no credit.” For her thesis, Shurley searched through the Arkansas Council of Defense Records located in the Arkansas State Archives. Despite the patriotic efforts of black communities during World War I, their efforts were often seen a potential threat to white authorities. “Her thesis and website fill a hole in Arkansas history and are timely additions to the scholarship of World War I history in the war’s centennial year,” said Dr. Brian Mitchell, assistant professor of history and Shurley’s thesis advisor. “While scholars know a tremendous amount of information about how Arkansans supported and entertained white World War I recruits and soldiers, very little is known about about how black Arkansans supported black soldiers on the home front. Shurley’s work reveals the patriotism espoused by the black community and the efforts that they made to ensure that their husbands, fathers, and sons who pledged themselves to the war effort would be appreciated and supported by their own.” The Council of National Defense was established in 1916 to coordinate industries and resources in the event that the United States entered World War I. This national council oversaw investigations of infrastructure, troop movement, supply mobilization, production and distribution of propaganda, organization of civilian population, and the nation’s capability to produce materials. Smaller councils were established at the state and county level, including councils for African Americans and women. The Arkansas State Council of Defense was created on May 22, 1917; however, Arkansas resisted the federal government’s instructions to create a council for African Americans. By July 1918, federal authorities were threatening to organize the African Americans themselves. “The federal authorities had to literally threaten Arkansas to organize their black community,” Shurley said. “Arkansas did not want to have a council that was organizing the black community into any kind of authoritative force. A lot of states were afraid of the black community uniting, and black people gaining a sense of equality. But Arkansas officials thought that if the federal authorities reached out to the black community, that they would get an overinflated sense of their importance.” In a 1918 letter to convince Arkansas to organize the black community, Council of National Defense member Arthur Fleming wrote, “It will also prevent the over-emphasis which would result from different federal agencies approaching the Negroes independently and which, as you can readily see, might create in their minds a disastrous misconception of their importance.” The Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council held its first meeting on Aug. 10, 1918. The council was supervised by John Bond, the state education superintendent, and Wallace Townsend, the director of the state council, who reassured state council members by selecting conservative black leaders. Scipio Jones, a prominent black attorney and former slave who is best known for his defense of 12 black men sentenced to death following the Elaine Massacre of 1919, was appointed as the state chairman of the Colored Auxiliary Council. Another prominent member, Josiah Blount, later became the first black person to run for governor in Arkansas in 1920. ��

This Nov. 2, 1918, Arkansas Democrat article from the Arkansas Council of Defense Records located in the Arkansas State Archives showcases the different black leaders who worked with the Council of Defense on the Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council. The leaders of the community were trying to raise a minimum of $400,000 dollars during the month of November. The Auxiliary Council had its first meeting on Aug. 10, 1918, and by November the committee was working hard to rise money for the war effort.

“These men were well-educated leaders in Arkansas’s black communities and the Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council,” Shurley said. “Townsend and Bond believed that the men of the Colored Auxiliary Council would work within the established social guidelines of appropriate behavior for black men, according to white society in Arkansas, and to some extent they did. These same black men were working within their communities to uplift and change the environment around them.” The Arkansas State Council of Defense largely excluded the accomplishments of the Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council from official reports, but Shurley found examples of their accomplishments recorded in the newspapers of the day. In 1918, the Branch Normal College, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, signed a contract with the government to train 2,400 black soldiers in mechanical trades. The Daily Arkansas Gazette reported on April 29, 1918, that black communities in Phillips County mortgaged their farm stock to raise money to purchase war bonds. Jones donated $200 to the War Fund Drive in November 1918. Gov. Charles Brough even issued a public statement about the donation to encourage other black people to make similar donations. Local black organizations purchased thousands of dollars of war stamps. Jones and the Mosaic Templars of America, a black fraternal organization established in Little Rock, donated $100,000 to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Williams McAdoo for World War I. The contributions of black women were largely ignored in the official reports as well. In the Report of the Woman’s Committee Council of Defense for Arkansas, Shurley noted that just one paragraph in a 72-page report described the work of black women, who were active in food conservation, collecting war savings stamps, Red Cross, health, and child welfare. Black women who volunteered for the Red Cross sewed clothes for American soldiers in special rooms set up by the Mosaic Templars of America since black people were not allowed to work in the same places as white people. Shurley said that black women at the time were often accused of not working hard enough to support the war effort if they did not also work as domestic help for white families. G.B. Ewing, a white Desha County judge, wrote a letter to the Arkansas Council of Defense about his concerns over the lack of black female domestic labor in Arkansas. While the “women of the white race have done their utmost to assist in everything about winning the war,” Ewing wrote, “it is impossible to get any domestic help from the negro women in fact they have practically quit work and we find they are being kept up by the increase in earning of the negro men or from allotments obtained from government through enlisted negroes, so vagrancy laws will not reach them.” “Black women were actually villainized by some in the Council of Defense,” Shurley said. “In some states, there were laws that were put into place that black women had to have a job outside their home in order to force them to work as domestics. The white community felt that their standard of living was getting too high since their husbands were in the war and bringing home a steady paycheck.” Shurley also created with information about its members, historical records, newspaper clippings, council reports, and correspondence that she hopes others will use to learn more about this group and their contributions to fight World War I. “Sometimes, we focus on all the horrible things that happen to people of color, and we don’t focus on the amazing contributions they have made to society,” Shurley said. “The Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council was an incredibly positive influence and force in the black community. They made incredible contributions that they were never recognized for.” The website will also provide an excellent guide for educators in Arkansas who wish to teach their students about the Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council. “Her thesis and website provide a rich tapestry of details regarding the organization of the Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council, its membership, and its activities,” Mitchell said. “I hope that middle and high school teachers throughout the state will incorporate Shurley’s digital contribution to their lesson plans and classroom discussion of the Great War.”

Elaine Massacre victim to posthumously receive Purple Heart Nov. 16 ��for WWI service

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 17:06:38 +0000

Research by University of Arkansas at Little Rock Professor Dr. Brian Mitchell was instrumental to the awarding of a posthumous Purple Heart to a black veteran from Pine Bluff. The family of the late Pvt. Leroy Johnston, one of four brothers who was tragically killed during the 1919 Elaine Massacre, will accept the Purple Heart��during a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 16. Johnston��is being honored for severe wounds he sustained while serving in World War I.�� Hosted by the Delta Cultural Center in Helena-West Helena, the honors will take place at Beth El Heritage Hall, 406 Perry St., at 1 p.m. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony. Local, state, and federal elected officials are expected to attend. The public is also invited to come and pay tribute to this Delta-born war hero. Family members will accept the Purple Heart on behalf of Pvt. Leroy Johnston, a native of Pine Bluff who enlisted in the military at 23 while living in New York City. In addition to the Purple Heart, Johnston will also receive the WWI Victory Medal with France’s Service Clasp and Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and Meuse-Argonne Battle Clasps, and the WWI Victory Button. Johnston served in Company M, 3rd Battalion, 369th Infantry, a highly decorated regiment also known as the “Harlem Hellfighters.” The “Harlem Hellfighters’’ military band, in which Johnston was a bugler, became quite famous for introducing jazz to Europe.

Dr. Brian Mitchell

As was often the case for black soldiers during that time, Johnston’s service records were intentionally altered after he sustained combat injuries. This deception was uncovered by Dr. Mitchell, a professor of history at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Leroy was wounded twice while serving in World War I,” Mitchell explained. “His records were altered from ‘severely’ wounded to ‘slightly’ wounded. This alteration prevented him from receiving any awards for being wounded in action.” Nevertheless, Johnston was honorably discharged from military service on July 5, 1919. Johnston returned to the U.S. making Helena his new home. It was in the fall of that same year, he and his three brothers were killed during the Elaine Massacre, though they had nothing to do with the conflict. That September, the bodies of Johnston and his brothers were found mutilated and dumped on the side of the road. Though Johnston was injured in the war on Sept. 26, 1918, it wasn’t until Mitchell’s in-depth investigation into the Elaine Massacre that he uncovered this tragic aspect of Johnston’s military life. Determined to right this injustice, Mitchell submitted the information to the U.S. Department of the Army requesting that Johnston be awarded the appropriate medals for his WWI service. Mitchell then contacted U.S. Rep. French Hill’s office in Little Rock for assistance. Rep. Hill and his staff members, especially Thomas McNabb, Hill’s director of military affairs, were instrumental in ensuring that Johnston finally receive his long overdue medals. For more information about the ceremony, contact Dr. Kyle Miller, director of the Delta Cultural Center, at 870-338-4350 or kyle.miller@arkansas.gov. The shares the vision of all eight agencies within the Department of Arkansas Heritage—to preserve and promote Arkansas Heritage as a source of pride and satisfaction. The other divisions of the department are the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Arkansas Arts Council, the Natural Heritage Commission and the Arkansas State Archives. In the upper right photos,��Leroy Johnston (right) is shown with two of his brothers, Drs. D.A.E. (left) and L.H. (center) Johnston. Submitted photo.

Elaine Massacre victim to posthumously receive medals for service in World War I

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 20:19:55 +0000

A black World War I veteran and victim of the 1919 Elaine Massacre will posthumously be honored with the Purple Heart and other World War I honors that he was denied a century ago.�� For Dr. Brian Mitchell, a professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, helping Leroy Johnston receive his medals is about righting a wrong a century in the making. Mitchell has found that Johnston’s medical records were altered, which prevented him from receiving the military honors he deserved. “Leroy was wounded twice while serving in World War I,” Mitchell said. “His wounds required a long time of convalescence. His records were intentionally altered from ‘severely’ wounded to ‘slightly’ wounded. This impeded him from receiving any awards for being wounded in action. I thought this was a tragedy.” Mitchell uncovered this tragic aspect of Johnston’s life while investigating the in preparation for its centennial commemoration in 2019.

Dr. Brian Mitchell

The Elaine Massacre is remembered as one of the deadliest racial conflicts in the country. In September 1919, representatives of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America met with approximately 100 African-American farmers at a church to discuss unionizing. When a group of white men interrupted the meeting, two white men were shot. The sheriff organized a posse, comprised largely of white veterans, who like Johnston, had recently returned from the war. A mob of an estimated 500 to 1,000 white people stormed through Phillips County, killing black men, women, and children on sight. Johnston and his three older brothers were killed during the Elaine Massacre. Determined to right this injustice, Mitchell gathered records that substantiated Johnston’s military service and injuries. He submitted the information to the U.S. Department of the Army over the summer to request that Johnston be awarded medals for his service during World War I.�� Mitchell then contacted for assistance. Mitchell thanked Hill and his staff members, especially Thomas McNabb, Hill’s director of military affairs, for their help, which was instrumental in ensuring that Johnston finally received his long overdue medals. “We are proud to honor Private Johnston, who died defending our freedoms, by helping to secure four medals he rightfully deserved for his valiant acts of bravery during World War I,” Hill said. “I have a great veterans team of three on my staff who work hard to ensure our veterans, alive and no longer with us, receive full recognition for their service. Tom did a phenomenal job ensuring Private Johnston’s legacy lives on forever.” “I want to thank Dr. Mitchell for bringing this to our attention,” McNabb said. “It was a privilege to be a part of honoring Private Johnston’s service to our great nation. This is why I do what I do every day to help our Arkansas veterans.” A ceremony is being planned to present the awards to Johnston’s relatives. Johnston will receive the Purple Heart with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster for wounds received in action on Sept. 26, 1918, in France. He also will receive the World War I Victory Medal with France Service Clasp and Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and Meuse-Argonne Battle Clasps, and the World War I Victory Button. Kyle Miller, a great-nephew of Leroy’s brother, Dr. D.A.E. Johnston, who was also a victim of the Elaine Massacre, said his family is very grateful that Leroy will finally receive his medals. “I feel like justice is taking place. When you look at the original document, Leroy’s release paper, it’s obvious that he was qualified for a Purple Heart, but the document was then altered to disqualify him,” Miller said. “A wrong has now been righted. Dr. Mitchell encouraged me to work with Veterans Affairs and inquire about Purple Heart status for my great uncle. I went as far as I could go in the process, but I hit a roadblock. There were some things that I couldn’t verify. Brian kept pushing until he got a breakthrough. I am so glad that he did! I am also extremely grateful to Rep. French Hill and his staff for all of their help. Our family is indebted to Dr. Mitchell. We are all ecstatic!”

In Leroy Johnston’s discharge record, the word “slightly” has been stamped over “severely” in the ‘Wounded in action’ section.

The Road to Elaine

Johnston was a private in the U.S. Army. At 23, he joined on Nov. 9, 1917, in New York City. He served in Company M, 3rd Battalion, 369th Infantry, which was also known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Johnston went overseas in December 1917 and was honorably discharged on July 5, 1919. He was wounded and gassed in the Battle of Chateau-Thierry. He also served as a bugler. The Harlem Hellfighters military band became quite famous for introducing jazz to Europe. The Johnstons were a prominent black family in Jefferson County. Their father, Rev. Lewis Johnston Jr., was the first ordained black minister of the Covenanter Church, and their mother, Mercy, was a former school teacher. Of Leroy’s three older brothers, Dr. D.A.E. Johnston was a successful dentist and inventor in Helena; Dr. Louis Johnston was a physician in Oklahoma; and Gibson Johnston owned a car dealership in Helena, where Leroy worked after his return from war. The four brothers had been out squirrel hunting when tragedy struck.

Leroy Johnston’s Purple Heart certificate

“What’s sad is that they had nothing to do with the riot. If they had just stayed in the woods for another day, maybe they could have evaded the calamity that pursues,” Mitchell said. “They hop on the train to Helena, and the train is stopped by one of the posses. The posse puts them in the back of a car handcuffed and takes them away. The narrative is that the brothers were all in the car of a well-known politician and business owner. They maintain that one of the brothers grabbed a gun and shot and killed the driver, and then the posse killed the brothers in retaliation. The brothers’ bodies were dumped on the side of the road, and they were supposedly horribly mutilated as well.” The mother of the Johnston brothers encountered yet another miscarriage of justice when she retrieved their bodies. “According to her story, the mother had to pay a bounty on the bodies before the coroner would ship them out,” Mitchell said. “She had them sent to Pine Bluff, where their father had taught and been buried. She wanted her sons buried near their father. All of the boys were buried in the same grave because their mother wanted them to be as close in death as they were in life.” Mitchell is also part of an effort to locate the brothers’ grave. Many of the burial records for Jefferson County were lost in a fire during the 1970s, which has made finding the site of the Johnston brothers’ grave difficult. Mitchell said he believes he has located the cemetery where the brothers are buried and hopes that a grave marker can be placed on their gravesite before the centennial of the Elaine Massacre in 2019.

An old newspaper article shows the Johnston brothers who were killed in the Elaine Massacre in 1919.

The bodies of the black victims of the Elaine Massacre have never been found and are believed to have been buried in a mass grave. The grave’s location remains unknown. If the Johnston brothers’ grave is found, it would be significant as the only known grave of a black victim of the Elaine Massacre, Mitchell said. Miller is thankful for Mitchell’s efforts, which is helping to bring some closure to this dark part of Miller’s family history. “As a family we grew up hearing about the Elaine Massacre, and we read Grif Stockley’s book (“Blood in Their Eyes: The Elaine Race Massacres of 1919”). It just brought up more questions. We had heard the story for years that the brothers had been buried in Pine Bluff. When Dr. Mitchell started doing his research, he narrowed the burial down to one or two cemeteries in Pine Bluff. This has brought a sense of ��closure because his research confirmed that these family oral histories were accurate.” The Elaine Massacre is something that many people didn’t discuss and would rather leave in the past, Miller said, but he is glad that historians are opening up discussions. “I’m really glad that these discussions are being held,” Miller said. “It used to be called the Elaine Riot, like it was blacks against whites. In reality, it was only a few white people who were shot, while the blacks were running for their lives in terror. Now there is the foundation to commemorate the Elaine Massacre. The fundamental terminology has been changed. A riot assumes two groups were fighting against each other. That’s not what happened at all. It should be classified as a massacre.” In the upper right photo,��Leroy Johnston (right) is shown with two of his brothers, Drs. D.A.E. (left) and L.H. (center) Johnston.��

Sequoyah National Research Center to create website on American Indians in World War I

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 17:39:02 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Sequoyah National Research Center is partnering with the to commemorate the approximately 12,000 American Indians who served in the country’s military during World War I.�� Dr. Daniel Littlefield, director of Sequoyah National Research Center, and Erin Fehr, archivist, are working to create a website that will capture all aspects of American Indians’ involvement in the World War I effort. “In the past, we have done so much work with American Indians in the military, with the World War I project, and we feel like it is so important because no one else has done this, and we feel like it is needed,” Fehr said. “We have reached out and met individuals who have told us stories about their families, and it is very important for us and their family members to be able to tell those stories and have them remembered.” When the U.S. entered World War I on April 6, 1917, American Indians from across the country volunteered in large numbers to protect and defend their homeland. The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission (WWICC) was created by Congress in 2013 to commemorate the centennial of World War I over the next five years. The commission was created to develop educational programs, organize activities, establish a National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., and serve as a clearinghouse for information related to the commemoration. To that end, WWICC has partnered with local, state, and regional entities to create a website dedicated to World War I. Commission members approached Sequoyah National Research Center about creating a website about Native Americans who served in World War I after seeing the center’s fall 2017 exhibit, “Untold Stories: American Indian Code Talkers of World War I.” During World War I, Americans Indians transmitted military messages between the U.S. and its allies in their native languages. The Germans, who were adept at code breaking, could not decode the messages, as they were unfamiliar with American Indians languages. Known as code talkers, Americans Indians served an important role in protecting military messages, and the effort was expanded significantly during World War II and included additional tribes. In fact, Elijah Horner, an Arkansas native from Mena, recruited members from the Choctaw Nation to serve as code talkers during World War I. As part of the exhibit, Sequoyah started a database, “Modern Warriors of World War I,” to identify the 12,000 American Indians who served in World War I. They collected more than 3,000 names and have been actively searching to identify the additional American Indians who served in the military during World War I and their tribal affiliations. Courtney Peyketewa, a Seminole tribal member and graduate student at the University of Central Oklahoma who was a summer intern at Sequoyah, continued this work by contacting tribes regarding their World War I service members. She made great progress and received several information-filled emails with names from various tribes. Additionally, she kept track of tribes that have created veterans’ memorials. Sequoyah’s new graduate assistant, Will Lusk, a graduate student in interdisciplinary studies, is continuing this work. In addition to the database of American Indian World War I veterans, the website will also cover other examples of how American Indians were involved in the war effort. “In addition to those who actively served in the military, you had American Indian women who served in the Army Nurse Corps. We’ve only identified eight so far. Even though there were so few, we still feel like that is a significant involvement,” Fehr said. “There were also many who served on the homefront volunteering with American Red Cross, growing victory gardens, investing in bonds. We want to give a well-rounded view of the war effort for Native Americans. We have also found some of the letters that were written by the men, so people can read in their own words how the men felt. It’s a huge project, but we feel like it was well worth doing.” The website will go live on the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission’s website, wwwicc.org, this fall. In the upper right photo, this panoramic photo depicts the 36th Division of the 142nd Infantry Company E, who served in France during World War I. The company was made almost entirely of American Indian soldiers.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host ‘Patriot Nations’ exhibit honoring Native Americans in the Armed Forces

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 17:24:44 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a Smithsonian exhibit honoring Native Americans who have served in the U.S. military.�� The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Sequoyah National Research Center will host the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s exhibit, “Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation’s Armed Forces.” The exhibit will be supplemented by materials from Sequoyah’s collections from World War I veterans. It was made possible by the generous support of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Native Americans have served in the country’s military since colonial times. Today, they serve at a higher rate in proportion to their population than any other ethnic group in the nation. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will be on display from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Sept. 5 through Nov. 30 at Sequoyah National Research Center, 5820 Asher Ave., Suite 500. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6. For more information, contact Sequoyah at 501-569-8336 or visit. In the upper right photo,��Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander-in-chief of the Allied forces in the South Pacific, on an inspection trip of American battle fronts in late 1943. From left: Staff Sgt. Virgil Brown (Pima), 1st Sgt. Virgil F. Howell (Pawnee), Staff Sgt. Alvin J. Vilcan (Chitimacha), Gen. MacArthur, Sgt. Byron L. Tsingine (Diné [Navajo]), Sgt. Larry Dekin (Diné [Navajo]). Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Signal Corps.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student create podcasts commemorating history of WWI in Arkansas

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 15:06:52 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Mass Communication has created seven new podcasts as part of an effort to preserve the history of life in Arkansas during World War I. In 2016, the School of Mass Communication partnered with the to create the podcasts to celebrate the upcoming 100th anniversary of the war. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s contribution is led by Senior Instructor David Weekley. One of his students, Carly Garner, first produced 13 podcasts during the fall 2016 semester. The initial podcasts covered topics as diverse as the role of Arkansas women during the war, a picric acid plant in Little Rock, the influence of World War I on the Elaine Massacre, and the story of one Arkansas soldier during the war. This semester, Eric Holsomback, a senior mass communication major from Alexander, produced the seven podcasts. The project is expected to continue through fall 2018, with new podcasts being produced every semester. “This new group of podcasts explores such topics as resistance to the draft, creation of training facilities, WWI pilots and Arkansas forestry professionals who served in the war, including a personal story from State Forester Joe Fox, whose grandfather had an interesting historical link to the men with whom he fought,” said Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The seven new podcasts include:

Dr. Blake Perkins of Williams Baptist College detailing resistance to the draft in Arkansas during World War I
David Sesser of Henderson State University recalling efforts to build an Arkansas infrastructure to train soldiers during World War I
Joe Fox of the Arkansas Forestry Commission speaks about his grandfather, who served as a doughboy (an informal term for a member of the U.S. or , especially used to refer to members of the in )
Don C. Bragg of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service speaks about the role of the fighting foresters of the 20th Engineers Regiment
Mark K. Christ of the Arkansas WWI Centennial Commemoration Committee talks about a pair of pioneering airmen with Arkansas connections.

For more information, visit the.

Exhibit explores history of American Indian code talkers during World War I

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 16:13:28 +0000

The Sequoyah National Research Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host an exhibit on the history of Americans Indians who served as code talkers during World War I. An opening reception for the exhibit, “Untold Stories: American Indian Code Talkers of World War I,”��will begin at 1:45 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Sequoyah National Research Center, which is located in Suite 500 of University Plaza. The reception will feature World War I songs performed by the Conway Women’s Chorus. The exhibit will run until Feb. 2. “The Choctaws in World War I were the first Code Talkers utilized by the American military and were invaluable in leading a victory against Germany,” Archivist Erin Fehr said. “We want to celebrate their service, honor their sacrifice, and give faces to the men behind the title ‘Code Talker.'” During World War I, Americans Indians transmitted military messages between the United States and its allies in their native languages. The Germans, who were adept at code breaking, could not decode the messages, as they were unfamiliar with Native American languages. Known as code talkers, Americans Indians served an important role in protecting military messages, and the effort was expanded significantly during World War II and included additional tribes. “In October 1918, Germany was defeating the Allied forces at every turn due to easily tapping into communications,” Fehr said. “When commanding officers overheard Choctaw men speaking to each other in their language, it was decided to try using these men to transmit messages over the telephone. This proved successful, and the messages were never broken. In addition to the Choctaw men, Comanche, Osage, Cherokee, Standing Rock Sioux, and Cheyenne served as Code Talkers.” For more information, contact Erin Fehr at ehfehr@ualr.edu or call 501-569-8336.

��Vlog��ýLR partnership creates podcasts commemorating history of WWI in Arkansas

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 22:18:44 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Mass Communication is doing its��part to preserve the history of life in Arkansas during World War I as part of the centennial celebration of what was once known as the Great War.�� The Arkansas World War I Centennial Commission has released 13 new podcasts about Arkansas during the first world war. The podcasts were created in partnership with the ��Vlog��ýLR School of Mass Communication, an effort led by Senior Instructor David Weekley and his student, Carly Garner. �� The ��Vlog��ýLR School of Mass Communication first partnered with the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission to create a series of. ��Vlog��ýLR student engineers recorded the podcasts on a variety of Civil War topics in Arkansas. Arkansas teachers use the podcasts in their classrooms. “Many of our students have gained valuable experience over the years doing the Civil War podcasts,” Weekley said. “It looks good on their resume, and it benefits educators across the state of Arkansas. We are thrilled to continue this relationship with the World War I project.” Garner produced 13 podcasts during the fall 2016 semester. The project is expected to continue through fall 2018, with new podcasts being produced every semester. The initial podcasts covered topics as diverse as the role of Arkansas women during the war, a picric acid plant in Little Rock, the influence of World War I on the Elaine Massacre, and the story of one Arkansas soldier during the war. “As a collection, these snippets of Arkansas’s World War I story will provide a broad interpretation of the state’s role in the war both here and abroad that will be available for teachers, historians, and others interested in this crucial period in Arkansas and U.S. history,” said Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The new podcasts include:

Dr. Carl Carlson-Drexler of the Arkansas Archeological Survey discussing a WWI munitions plant in east Little Rock
Dr. Raymond Screws of the Arkansas National Guard Museum speaking about the building and evolution of the Camp Pike training ground
Elizabeth Hill of the Arkansas Women’s History Institute discussing the many ways that Arkansas women aided the war effort during the Great War
Grif Stockley, a Little Rock historian, covering the links between World War I and the 1919 Elaine race riots
Tom Wing of the Drennen-Scott Historic Site talking about the WWI adventures of Dunham Scott of Van Buren
Mark Christ of the Arkansas World War I Centennial Commemoration Committee talking about a controversy involving a pair of post-war commemorative sculptures.

For more information, visit the. In the upper right photo, one of 13 newly released podcasts depicting life in Arkansas during World War I details the adventures of Doughboy Dunham Scott of Van Buren. Photo courtesy of Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.

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