For Black History Month this February, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) is offering a full lineup of programming, activities for kids and even some delicious sweets along the way.
Opening on Feb. 5 is the museum’s newest exhibit “A Better Life for Their Children” detailing the impact of Rosenwald Schools, which educated more than one-third of all Black children in the segregated South in the early 20th century, through the photography and storytelling of Andrew Feiler.
“Rosenwald Schools represent one of the most successful grassroots educational movements in American history,” executive director Quantia “Key” Fletcher says . “This exhibition aligns directly with MTCC’s mission to preserve, interpret and celebrate African American history and culture, while connecting past struggles to present-day conversations about equity, access and education.”
The MTCC has many more activities in store throughout the month including the Black History Commission of Arkansas and Arkansas State Archives’ annual symposium, a Juneteenth in Da Rock kickoff event and an evening of “Music and History: Echoes of the Journey – George and Gloria on the Great Migration.”
For a daily dose of history, the MTCC is bringing back its quick-hit educational series on social media highlighting an important and sometimes overlooked figures in Arkansas Black history every day of the month. Read the first one here.
Jumping ahead to dessert, the MTCC is once again partnering with Loblolly Creamery to bring back Maple Leaf Rag Time, an ice cream flavor featuring maple caramel swirls and Arkansas candied pecans that pays homage to famous Black composer and Texarkana native Scott Joplin. Maple Leaf Rag Time is available all month, and every scoop benefits the MTCC.
Equally sweet is Community Bakery’s series of Black History Month sugar cookies featuring historical and cultural icons. Each week has a different theme, and week one highlighted arts icons such as Prince, Maya Angelou and Beyonce. A portion of these proceeds benefit the MTCC as well.
And if you’re on the hunt for visual and hands-on educational resources like the Periodic Chart of Arkansas Black History, there are many free to download here.
The MTCC, which offers year-round exhibits and resources dedicated to Arkansas’ Black history and culture, is located at the corner of Broadway and Ninth streets in downtown Little Rock, and is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday.
To learn more, visit the MTCC website and follow along on Facebook and Instagram for the latest.
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