The first lecture, 鈥淪pooky Season: Monsters in History,鈥� will begin with refreshments at 7 p.m. and the lecture at 7:30 p.m. in the Ottenheimer Auditorium. 

Four 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock professors will discuss spooky tales from around the world and introduce the audience to some scary monsters and the impact they’ve had on today鈥檚 culture.

Dr. Katrina Yeaw, associate professor of history, will explore how jinn crept into history and imagination as beings both feared and fascinating, reminding us that the scariest monsters aren鈥檛 always lurking in the shadows; they might be sitting right beside us. 

鈥淔or centuries, they鈥檝e haunted desert landscapes, whispered temptations, and explained eerie happenings that defied easy answers,鈥� Yeaw said. 鈥淛inn are said to be born of smokeless fire in the Qur鈥檃n, these shape-shifting spirits slip between the human and supernatural worlds, sometimes as tricksters, tormentors and sometimes surprisingly helpful.鈥�

Yi Ren, assistant professor of history, will explain how in Chinese folklore, oral traditions, and literary works, stories about fox spirits are especially rich and varied. Fox spirits sometimes appear as seductive women, as ghosts bringing illness and death, and sometimes as deities or ancestors offering blessings, fertility or moral lessons. 

鈥淚 will discuss why these tales flourished in the late imperial period and, through two fox-spirit stories, show what they reveal about popular religion, the ways Confucian values were both challenged and reinforced, and the position of women in late imperial China,鈥� Ren said. 

Michael Heil, associate professor of history, will be speaking about the undead in medieval England, focusing on revenants, the dead who return to their physical bodies and walk the earth, as described by writers in 12th-century England.

鈥淭hese writers spend as much time describing the community responses to such terrors as they do the actions of the undead themselves. I’ll discuss these responses, some sanctioned by ecclesiastical authorities and others not, as well as recent archeological discoveries that may confirm these accounts,鈥� Heil said.

Hannah Anderson, assistant professor of history, will be speaking about the Jersey Devil. Originally called the Leeds Devil, this creature has frequently been described as having an equine head, a serpentine tail, and bat wings. Reportedly the 13th child of an 18th-century witch named Mother Leeds, the Jersey Devil is said to run through the Jersey pine barren forests at night, screeching wildly. Anderson will discuss recent scholarly findings on the real history of the Leeds family, using their story to illuminate faith, politics, family, and science in early America, and explore the Jersey Devil鈥檚 place in 20th century folklore and popular culture. 

For more information, visit the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Evenings with History website.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to Host Spooky Edition of Evenings with History appeared first on News.

Kirk received the award April 11 during the 84th Annual Arkansas Historical Association Conference at the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. Sponsored by the Arkansas Women鈥檚 History Institute, the award includes a $1,000 prize and publication in an upcoming edition of Arkansas Historical Quarterly.

鈥淚 am delighted to receive the award,鈥� Kirk said. 鈥淪usie Pryor was a pioneer as the first woman to run for political office in Arkansas after women received the right to vote in 1920 and one of the first women to hold a seat on a local school board. Her legacy continued to shape Arkansas politics through her son, former Senator David Pryor, and her grandson, former Senator Mark Pryor.鈥�

Kirk鈥檚 article explores a largely overlooked chapter in the state鈥檚 legal history. Dinwiddie, a domestic worker, was convicted of murdering a white man in North Little Rock in 1940 and sentenced to death in her Pulaski County Circuit Court trial. On appeal, the Arkansas Supreme Court reduced her sentence to 21 years in prison. Dinwiddie鈥檚 case sheds new light on how Arkansas courts navigated issues of gender, race, and the death penalty in the Jim Crow Era.

Kirk鈥檚 research began with a case file found in the digitized NAACP papers. He has made extensive use of the NAACP papers in his teaching and research. His students in the university鈥檚 graduate program in public history have co-authored award-winning papers using the archive. Their work has earned recognition from the Arkansas Historical Association, including the Lucille Westbrook Award in 2022 and 2024 and the Violet B. Gingles Award in 2023.

Kirk plans to present his award-winning research as part of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Department of History鈥檚 Evenings with History speaker series during the next academic year.

The post Kirk Wins Susie Pryor Award for Research appeared first on News.

To see the full list of events happening throughout the semester, visit the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock calendar online.

School of Art and Design

鈥淲ood Works: Assembled from the Permanent Collection鈥�: The School of Art and Design will unveil the second exhibition in the Ann Maners and Alex Pappas Gallery this year titled 鈥淲ood Works: Assembled from the Permanent Collection.鈥� The exhibition will run from March 3 until May 16 in the Windgate Center of Art + Design.

Featuring artwork from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Permanent Collection, this exhibition highlights the craftsmanship of artists who produced pieces made from wooden materials.

artWORKS Lecture by Carey Voss: 鈥淎rt Adjacent: My Career in the Museum Field鈥�: An Arkansas artist and curator at the Historic Arkansas Museum, Carey Voss will give a lecture regarding her career trajectory from an MFA in Painting to curator at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday March 12 in Room 101 in the Windgate Center of Art + Design.

Following the lecture, Voss will be available to visit with attendees. These lectures are free, open to the public, and made possible through the support of the Windgate Foundation. For additional information, contact Kristi Pruett, the school鈥檚 administrative analyst, at kncrow@ualr.edu.

鈥淲illiam Beckman: On the Horizon鈥�: At the end of March, Gallery One in the Fine Arts building will open with its third exhibition since its reopening in the fall 2024 semester titled 鈥淲illiam Beckman: On the Horizon.鈥� The exhibition will be open to the public from March 31 until June 30.

Beckman鈥檚 oil paintings can be seen in a number of museums, including the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.

Free and open to the public, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock galleries are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. The galleries in the Windgate Center of Art + Design have additional hours on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock galleries are closed on university holidays.

For additional information on exhibitions, contact Gallery Director Brian Young at byoung2@ualr.edu.

Department of History

Evenings with History: Drs. Kris McAbee, Charles Romney, and Larry Smith, 鈥淧laying with History: Community and the Contemporary Stage鈥�: At 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock professors Kris McAbee, Charles Romney, and Larry Smith will present an interdisciplinary lecture as part of the Evenings with History series. Given each professor鈥檚 unique background in English, history, and theater, respectively, the lecture will explore the intersection of history, storytelling, and modern-day theatre.

The public is invited to attend the free event in the Ottenheimer Auditorium at the Historic Arkansas Museum. More details regarding the Evenings with History series can be found on the Department of History鈥檚 website. For additional information, contact Dr. Michael Heil at mwheil@ualr.edu.

School of Human Inquiry

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Garden Site Archaeology Project Open House: The School of Human Inquiry is hosting an open house to showcase 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Garden Site Project. In celebration of Arkansas Archaeology Month, the Open House is from 1-3 p.m. on Friday, March 14 in Stabler Hall 107. If weather permits, tours will be given of the excavation site, and the lab and found artifacts will be on display.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology Dr. Maureece Levin leads the Garden Site Archaeology Project. The Open House is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Levin at mlevin@ualr.edu.

School of Literary and Performing Arts

Theatre Production: 鈥淭he Theory of Relativity鈥�: The Theatre Arts program at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock will present 鈥淭he Theory of Relativity,鈥� a heartwarming musical that explores interconnectedness and shared experiences from Drama Desk Award nominees Neil Bartram and Brian Hill.

Shows will run on Wednesday, March 5 through Sunday, March 9 in Haislip Theatre on 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 campus. Audiences can attend 7:30 p.m. showings on March 5 through March 8, or they can attend 2:30 p.m. showings on March 8 and 9.

In the School of Literary and Performing Arts at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Stacy Pendergraft, producing artistic director, will direct, Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities, will lead music, and Caelon Colbert, coordinating assistant, will oversee choreography and act as assistant director. Shows are free and open to the public, but .

March Chamber and Wind Ensemble Concert: The first chamber and wind ensemble concert of the semester will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13 in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall on the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus.

Led by Dr. Nickolas Doshier, director of music education, the ensemble concert is free and open to the public.

Visiting Writers Series: An Afternoon with Jay Jennings: The English program will host the spring 2025 semester鈥檚 Visiting Writers Series lecture, which is free and open to the public. Author Jay Jennings will share insights into his craft at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 14 in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall.

Jennings, a writer and editor who lives in Little Rock, has worked with national newspapers and magazines, including 鈥淭he New York Times鈥� and 鈥淭he Wall Street Journal.鈥� He was also an editor at 鈥淥xford American鈥� from 2015 to 2021. Additional information on Jennings and his work can be found .

Justin Bunting Faculty Recital: Closing out the performances for the School of Literary and Performing Arts in March is Dr. Justin Bunting鈥檚 Faculty Recital at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall.

Bunting, who is an assistant professor of percussion and leads the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Percussion Ensemble, will showcase his musical talents and expertise. This concert is free and open to the public.

For additional information regarding the events hosted by the School of Literary and Performing Arts, contact the school鈥檚 coordinating assistant Caelon Colbert at cdcolbert@ualr.edu or 501-916-3291.

The post CHASSE Announces March College Events appeared first on News.

Her presentation, 鈥淔inding Girls in the Archives: The Case of Fekiriyeh and Renghi Sefa,鈥� will focus on two enslaved girls from Sudan who escaped their enslaver in 1854 and sought out refuge in the house of the British Consul in Salonica.

鈥淭his presentation will use their experiences as a case study for exploring the experiences of non-elite girls and women in the Middle East and how they are recorded in European archives,鈥� Yeaw said.

Yeaw received her Ph.D. from Georgetown University in modern Middle Eastern and North African history. Her research interests include colonialism, gender, race, and resistance and collaboration.

Yeaw hopes to clear up common misunderstandings regarding the Middle East and North Africa.

鈥淚 hope it encourages curiosity and for my audience to learn more about the region,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y research holds great significance for me because I study non-elite women who resisted European colonialism and other forms of oppression. These voices are often absent from historical narratives, especially regarding the Middle East and North Africa. I am particularly interested in the parallels between the past and the contemporary moment, especially concerning violence.鈥�

Yeaw鈥檚 presentation will be held in the Ottenheimer Auditorium at the Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third Street in Little Rock. Refreshments are served at 7 p.m., and the presentation begins at 7:30 p.m.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Historian to Share Research in Evenings with History Series appeared first on News.

The fall 2024 lectures featured Dr. Roy Ritchie, Dr. Johanna Miller Lewis, and Dr. Hannah Anderson. The speakers for this semester鈥檚 lectures are featured below:

Feb. 4: Katrina Yeaw, “Finding Girls in the Archives: The Case of Fekiriyeh and Renghi Sefa鈥�: Assistant Professor of History Dr. Katrina Yeaw starts the spring 2025 lectures with a presentation on two girls from the Sudan, Fekiriyeh and Renghi Sefa, who escaped slavery. Their story will be discussed as a case study to analyze the experiences of non-elite girls and women in the Middle East.

March 4: Charles Romney, Kris McAbee, and Larry Smith, “Playing with History: Community and the Contemporary Stage”: Drs. Charles Romney (Professor of History), Kris McAbee (Associate Professor of English), and Larry Smith (Associate Professor of Theatre Arts) will discuss the intersection of history, drama, and community by applying their disciplinary expertise to particular plays. Their presentation will suggest ways in which theater helps us understand both history and the world today.

April 1: Kyungsun Lee, “The Arkansas River: Navigating the Impact of Climate Change”: Assistant Professor of Geography Dr. Kyungsun Lee will give the final lecture of the year. As a member of the second cohort of SciComm Identities Projects Fellows, Lee will share her research on the historical significance of the Arkansas River and how it has been impacted by climate change.

For each event, light refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. with lectures to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Ottenheimer Auditorium at the Historic Arkansas Museum (200 E. Third St.) in Little Rock.

The long-standing Evenings with History series features 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock faculty members and guest speakers who give presentations on historical topics and is sponsored by the University History Institute. The events are free and open to the public; however, those interested in supporting the series can purchase a subscription online.

More details regarding the Evenings with History series can be found on the Department of History鈥檚 website. For additional information, contact Dr. Michael Heil at mwheil@ualr.edu.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Prepares for Spring 2025 Evenings with History Lectures appeared first on News.

The six sessions for the 2024-2025 series are scheduled on the first Tuesday of each month for October, December, February, March, and April, and the second Tuesday of November.

Light refreshments are served at 7 p.m., and the lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Ottenheimer Auditorium at the Historic Arkansas Museum (200 E. Third St.) in Little Rock.

The events are free and open to the public; however, those interested can support the Evenings with History series by purchasing a subscription online.

Oct. 1: Dr. Roy Ritchie, 鈥淢edieval America鈥�: To kick off the 2024-25 Evenings with History lecture series, special guest speaker Dr. Roy Ritchie, the W. M. Keck Foundation Director of Research Emeritus at Huntington Library in San Marino, California, will explore the flourishing cultures in America prior to European colonization.

Ritchie鈥檚 research focuses on early American history, and more recently, he has published works related to the sea: 鈥淐aptain Kidd and the War Against the Pirates鈥� and 鈥淭he Lure of the Beach: A Global History.鈥�

Nov. 12: Dr. Johanna Miller Lewis, 鈥淭he Federal Government Must Prevail: Eisenhower, the 101st Airborne, and the 1957 Central High Crisis鈥�: Recently retired Associate Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education, Dr. Johanna Miller Lewis will lecture on Central High School in 1957, when the Arkansas National Guard was called in to prevent nine African American teenagers from entering the high school.

Miller Lewis retired in June 2024, after serving 33 years at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and she held a number of roles in the Department of History, the Graduate School, and the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education鈥檚 Office of the Dean. Her decades worth of research on the Central High Crisis can be seen today at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Visitor Center.

Dec. 3: Dr. Hannah Anderson, 鈥淧lant Talk in Early America: Exchanges of Botanical Knowledge among Settlers and Indigenous People in the Seventeenth-Century Northeast鈥�: Assistant Professor Hannah Anderson concludes the 2024 lectures with a discussion surrounding the sharing of botanical knowledge that occurred in the seventeenth century and its impact today. With migration and colonialism, changing ecologies affected how plants were conceptualized during this time.

Based on this research, Anderson is preparing a book manuscript titled, 鈥淟ived Botany: Settlers and Natural History in the Early British Atlantic.鈥� Anderson was recently a Dibner Long-Term Research Fellow in the History of Science and Technology at the Huntington Library in California.

The three lectures that will be given in the spring of 2025 have also been announced:

• February 4, 2025: Dr. Katrina Yeaw, 鈥淔inding Girls in the Archives: The Case of Fekiriyeh and Renghi Sefa鈥�
• March 4, 2025: Drs. Charles Romney, Kris McAbee, and Larry Smith, 鈥淧laying with History: Community and the Contemporary Stage鈥�
• April 1, 2025: Dr. Kyungsun Lee, 鈥淭he Arkansas RIver: Navigating the Impact of Climate Change鈥�

More details regarding the Evenings with History series, as well as detailed descriptions of the lectures, can be found on the Department of History鈥檚 website. For additional information, contact Dr. Michael Heil at mwheil@ualr.edu.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Announces Evenings with History 2024-25 Speakers appeared first on News.

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 next Evenings with History lecture will be presented by 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Professor James Ross and will discuss the details of desegregation in Little Rock. The lecture will take place March 5, in the Ottenheimer Auditorium at the Historic Arkansas Museum at 200 E. Third Street in Little Rock. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. and the lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The lecture will delve into the seldom-discussed details of Little Rock desegregation, and their significance in the broader context of civil rights.

The Little Rock School Board rescinded their agreement to integrate Little Rock schools in 1958, halting progress. The board filed a lawsuit to urge the federal court to stop integration until 1961, stating that their students鈥� ability to learn was being hindered by violence. After initial support from the federal court, the upper courts overturned this decision, allowing integration to resume after a four-month pause.

Ross鈥檚 lecture addresses what this series of events reveals about the motives that drove Little Rock elites during the period of desegregation happening in the 1950s and 1960s.

For more information, contact Ross at jdross2@ualr.edu.

The post Evenings with History Lecture to Uncover Little Rock Desegregation History appeared first on News.

The lecture will take place Feb. 6 in the Ottenheimer Auditorium at the Historic Arkansas Museum at 200 E. Third Street in Little Rock. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. and the lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Tolliver is an activist, writer, producer, and director from Lake Village, Arkansas.

鈥淭his is an exciting and fascinating piece of missing Arkansas and American history and worthy of the attention it’s receiving in Hollywood,鈥� Tolliver said. 鈥淭he talk is timely, considering the current political landscape, with the reckless assaults on Black history, education, books, and American democracy.鈥�

The lecture is centered around James Worthington Mason, a former slave who became the first Black senator to be elected in Arkansas, and his orchestration of the massacre of prominent whites in Chicot County in 1871 as revenge for the murder of his friend.

鈥淚 am thrilled to kick-off the Chicot County Massacre lecture tour at the in downtown Little Rock,鈥� said Tolliver. 鈥淚 am grateful for the invitation from Dr. Barclay Key and all the good folks in 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock’s venerable History Department.鈥�

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to Host Guest Speaker Vincent Tolliver for Evenings with History appeared first on News.

Dr. Kristin Dutcher Mann, professor of history and social studies education coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will present, 鈥淭eaching History in Polarized Times,鈥� from 7-8:30 p.m. March 7, at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m., and the talk will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The talk will discuss the contentious nature of history and social studies education, in light of recent legislation surrounding  the 1619 Project, critical race theory, and the teaching of divisive concepts.

Mann will also examine how history educators approach teaching the next generation of citizens. She will situate the challenges of teaching history today within the context of other politically-charged times and places.

The Evenings with History series, sponsored by the University History Institute, features presentations by 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock faculty and guest speakers sharing their research and teaching interests. Admission to the series is by subscription, but visitors are welcome to attend individual talks for free. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students may attend free of charge.

For more information about the History institute and its Evenings with History lecture series, people may contact Dr. Michael Heil, associate professor of history at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, at mwheil@ualr.edu or visit /history/history- institute/.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Evenings with History Lecture to Discuss Teaching History in Polarized Times appeared first on News.