Positive Leadership.
Arkansans Play Key Roles
In Civil Rights Movement.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Alison Bradley, a student in the Multicultural Issues class, wrote the following essay for one of her independent study courses, Arkansas and the Southwest (HIST 3383). We are pleased to publish it as part of our class resources. The assignment stated: "Write an essay describing the role of African Americans in Civil Rights movement within Arkansas. Be sure to begin with an introductory paragraph, followed by at least three paragraphs elaborating on your thesis. Include considerable detail. Conclude with a summarizing and concluding paragraph."]
By Alison Bradley
African-Americans in the Civil Rights movement within Arkansas played an important role in the evolution of rights for African-American people across the country. Many crucial events took place in Arkansas that contributed to positive changes that we see today in policies, laws, and attitudes. Several accomplishments include: the creation of (a local chapter) of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Arkansas Negro Democratic Association, Committee on Negro Organizations, successful litigation to equalize teacher salaries, the Arkansas Council on Human Relations and, of course, the bravery of the "Little Rock Nine".
A Challenge to the White Primary
A Little Rock chapter of the NAACP was founded in November 1918 by a group of the city's leading black businessmen and professionals. They played a large role in the development in the state because they were able to utilize resources, both money and intellectual manpower, from their national chapter as necessary. In 1930 a prominent Little Rock physician from Little Rock by the name of Dr. Robinson founded the Arkansas Negro Democratic Association. He attempted to challenge the white primary in Arkansas, but was unsuccessful. Frustrated by the apparent impotency of the ANDA, Harold Flowers (an attorney from Pine Buff) formed the Committee on Negro Organizations. The committee also decided to challenge the white primary, this time with the hope of funds from the national chapter of the NAACP. His request for funding was turned down however, but only because the national chapter was fighting the same cause in other states and didn't want to spread their resources too thin. The efforts of these two organizations let it be known that the white primary was under scrutiny of the African-Americans in Arkansas.
In 1941 L. C. and Daisy Bates did their part by purchasing a black newspaper in Little Rock called the "State Press". Daisy, who was the then current president of the Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP, wrote editorials in her husband's paper supporting integration. Mrs. Bates, along with several black parents and the NAACP filed suit against the dual education system in Little Rock, but lost. The newspaper business they owned eventually went bankrupt due to withdrawal of advertising dollars from white businesses and a drop in circulation due to intimidation efforts of segregationists. The positive that came from this ordeal was that the Bates educated the citizens of the need for desegregation.
The activity in Arkansas by the ANDA and CNO caught the attention of the national chapter of the NAACP, which subsequently assisted in bringing a lawsuit forth in 1942 to equalize teacher salaries. They lost the lawsuit, but won on appeal in the Eighth Circuit Court. This was yet another step towards equality in the state of Arkansas.
In Search of Peaceful Integration
The activities of the Arkansas Council on Human Relations revolved around working toward a peaceful solution to the integration crisis. The group began in 1954 an formally incorporated in 1955. The group assumed an active role in promoting a change for the better in race relations and sponsored a "brotherhood" week, when black and white ministers teamed to speak on the topic "A Christian Look at Race Relations Today". The ACHR also sponsored a workshop that held discussions on how to promote peaceful integration at the local level.
The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee located in the Arkansas Delta made themselves known to Orval Faubus. Faubus, his white constituents and the state legislators felt threatened by the actions of the group. They felt threatened by the increased following and influence of the SNCC. In the fall of 1963, black high school students volunteered to go door to door to encourage blacks to pay their poll taxes and register to vote. The impending realization of blacks regaining their right to vote set the stage for the loss of "white political control on the local level", given the demographics at that time in the delta.
Many of the events that took place in Arkansas laid the foundation for future breakthroughs (in barriers) that existed for African-Americans. The Civil Rights Act (of 1964) and the Voting Rights Act (of 1965) were both passed on the heels of major changes that took place in Arkansas. I feel that Arkansas played a large role in the lives of African-Americans across the country. If it were not for key players in Arkansas who dared to stand up and be heard, neither the Civil Rights Act nor the Voting Rights Act might have been considered, let alone enacted, for several more years to come.
Bibliography
Arnold, M., DeBlack, T., Sabo, G., & Whayne, J. (2002). Arkansas: A Narrative History. The University of Arkansas Press.
Whayne, J. (2002). Arkansas History Reader. The University of Arkansas Press.
*This is the next step toward THE One World Language.
Step Sixteen: *Lesson plan in the frying pan.
Planet Gnosis is ruled by Freddie A. Bowles, a professional educator and fellow at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. An independent entity in the CornDancer consortium of planets, Planet Gnosis is dedicated to the exploration of education and teaching. CornDancer is a developmental website for the mind and spirit maintained by webmistress Freddie A. Bowles of the Planet Earth. Submissions are invited.
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