Staff Photo Nick Brothers
In Mayor Lioneld Jordan’s stead, Lindsley Smith, City of Fayetteville communications director, proclaims February to be Black History Month to celebrate Fayetteville’s African-American heritage. Henry Childress (left), one of the oldest living African American Fayetteville citizens, was presented with the city’s proclamation.
With the theme of “Honoring the Unique History of African Americans in Fayetteville,” The City of Fayetteville proclaimed an official city-wide observation of Black History Month for February Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The press conference, held at The Dwelling Place church at 1855 North Porter Rd., featured passionate speeches from D’Andre Jones, Dwelling Place Pastor Marcus Carruthers, Edith Hawkins and Lindsley Smith, communications director for the City of Fayetteville.
Because Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan had to miss the conference due to illness, Lindsley Smith made the proclamation in his stead.
“Too much of African American history has gone unrecognized, uncelebrated, unwritten and unrecorded,” she said, reading Jordan’s proclamation. “The City of Fayetteville encourages all in Fayetteville to discover, appreciate, and commemorate the history of African Americans in Fayetteville during, and beyond, the month of February.”
The initiative for Fayetteville’s first city-wide Black History Month was organized by Compassion Fayetteville and its coordinating partners. Jones, who was one of the first African Americans to be a delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, hosted the press conference.
“We wanted to celebrate Black History Month on a local level,” Jones said. “We met and collaborated and got other people involved. What we did today was we wanted to formally wanted to kick it off. Particularly in Fayetteville we have a lot of residents here that have done some amazing things and they should be celebrated and made known as well.”
Following the press conference, several events orgainized by Compassion Fayetteville will commence throughout the month, tying in with Fayetteville’s second annual Month of Compassion.
Starting on Feb. 5, there will be the kickoff for Black History at Memorial Hall on the UofA campus. There will be a “Privilege Walk” to experience empathy, led by Dr. Caree Banton and Dorothy Marcy. On Feb. 12 at Fayetteville Public Library at 6:30 p.m., Marcy will facilitate a four person panel to dialogue African American experiences in Fayettevill. On Feb. 19, there will be a showing at the library at 6:30 p.m. of “Segregation — When and Where Does It End?”, a film about segregated cemeteries followed by discussion. The final event will be on Feb. 22 at St. James Church from 3 to 5 p.m. for Black History Celebration Day featuring photographs by local artist Andrew Kilgore, among other events.
Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Pastor Marcus Carruthers speaks at the Black History Month press conference. “We have the opportunity to make Northwest Arkansas a better place,” he said. “We should do all we can possibly do and do it extremely well.”
“I’m extremely proud to be a member of the African American community, and doing this project, I’m humbled,” Jones said. “I’m from the Arkansas Delta. I grew up in a small town of 550 people. I do know how important it is to learn about your community.”
Henry Childress, one of the oldest living African American residents in Fayetteville, was presented with the proclamation by Smith. Childress has been a Fayetteville resident since 1944, and lived through Jim Crow and the desegregation of Fayetteville High School, he said.
Notably, Fayetteville High School was the first high school in Arkansas and the first of America’s former confederacy to integrate after the Brown v. The Board of Educatoin decision. Peggy Tayor Lewis and Preston Lackey were the first African American students to graduate from the integrated high school, and the first integrated class of Fayetteville High School graduated on June 1, 1956.
“We recognize that when everyone has a say, then the community will thrive,” Jones said. “Individuals will be able to learn, grow, succeed and thrive. That’s my whole mission.”
