February is Black History Month and to honor that rich history, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service is highlighting some of the acclaimed guests from previous years of its Speakers Series who discuss topics ranging from individuals with unique, undertold stories that have become critical to the civil rights movement, to discussions on the Little Rock Nine and the Negro League Baseball Museum.
Civil Rights and the Arts in America: A Conversation with Terence Blanchard and Charles Blow | 2017
Terence Blanchard and Charles Blow discuss the state of civil rights in the United States and the Black Lives Matter Movement, as well as the uniqueness of music and the arts as a catalyst for unity.
The event is a collaboration between the Oxford American, the Clinton School of Public Service, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and UCA College of Fine Arts & Communication.
Constance Slaughter-Harvey | 2018
Constance Slaughter-Harvey, former Assistant Secretary of State and General Counsel, is founder and president of Legacy Education and Community Empowerment Foundation, Inc. Slaughter-Harvey was the first African American female to receive a law degree from the University of Mississippi and first female African American to serve as judge in Mississippi.
The Black Law Student Association at the University of Mississippi School of Law was named in her honor and she received the Law School’s Public Service Award, becoming the first female and first African American to be so honored. She was an adjunct professor at Tougaloo College for more than 36 years.
Children of the Little Rock Nine | 2017
On the day before the 60th anniversary of the integration of Little Rock Central High School, children of the Little Rock Nine discussed their parents’ role in the history-making crisis and how it has impacted their own lives.
This panel discussion looks at what it is like when you are growing up as the child of a Civil Rights icon. Several of the children of the Little Rock Nine share the experiences they have had as youths and adults. They also discuss how having a parent as a Civil Rights pioneer has shaped their own life.
Bernard Kinsey, Founder of the Kinsey Collection of African American Art and History | 2016
Bernard Kinsey enjoyed a 20-year association with the Xerox Corporation and was one of the pioneers in breaking down racial barriers in corporate America. His leadership of the Xerox Black Employees Association led to the hiring of thousands of Black employees, women, and Latinos, and is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.
Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro League Baseball Museum | 2012
Bob Kendrick has served as President of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., since March of 2011. NLBM is the world’s only museum celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America.
Previously, Kendrick served for a year as executive director of the National Sports Center for the Disabled, also in Kansas City. He was vice president of marketing at the NLBM from 1998 to 2010.
More lectures are available on the Clinton Center’s YouTube channel in their Black Voices & Black History playlist.
In addition to highlighting these speeches, the Clinton School has also highlighted these works by Black authors. Many of the books have gone on to become national bestsellers, award-winners and inspirations for Hollywood screenplays.
- “How To Be An Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi
- “The Awakened Woman” by Dr. Tererai Trent
- “The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore
- “Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly
- “The Heritage” by Howard Bryant
- “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics” by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry and Minyon Moore, with Veronica Chambers
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