Class is back in session. Each month, the Clinton School of Public Service provides engaging public programs covering a myriad of issues, and this month is no different. The recent schedule includes speakers on topics like what life was like for two teens during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the Affordable Care Act and tiny houses in America.
Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239. And if you can’t attend in person, you can stream most programs live by clicking here.
Introducing The Struggle in the South, a Joe Jones Mural
Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. | UA Little Rock Downtown
In 1935, American artist Joe Jones created “The Struggle in the South,” a snapshot of Southern sharecroppers, coal miners and a black family living in fear. Originally painted in the dining hall at Commonwealth College near Mena, Arkansas, this 44-by-9-foot work was recently restored with a $500,000 grant from Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Center.
The panel will include: moderator Senator Joyce Elliott; Brad Cushman, UA Little Rock Department of Art and Design Gallery director and curator; author Guy Lancaster; Dr. Brian Mitchell, UA Little Rock professor of history; Dr. Bobby L. Robert, former UA Little Rock archivist and Central Arkansas Library System executive director; and Taemora Williams, UA Little Rock student. They will discuss the artwork’s historical significance and importance of its new home in UA Little Rock Downtown’s reflection room.
Center on Community Philanthropy 2019 Advancing Equity Awards Reception
Tuesday, Jan. 22 at noon | Sturgis Hall
The Center on Community Philanthropy at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service will announce the recipients of the 2019 Advancing Equity Award at a reception celebrating the third annual National Day of Racial Healing.
The Advancing Equity Award is given to organizations that are using innovative solutions to address racial inequities in their communities and advance progress toward inclusion. Award recipients will be presented with support to continue and enhance their efforts.
John DiPippa on Affordable Care Act Recent Court Ruling
Wednesday, Jan. 23 at noon | Sturgis Hall
John DiPippa, a constitutional law scholar who served as a William J. Clinton Distinguished Lecturer at the Clinton School and Dean Emeritus at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, will discuss the recent ruling of a federal judge in Texas that said the Affordable Care Act’s individual coverage mandate is unconstitutional and the rest of the law cannot stand. DiPippa will talk through the ruling and what it means for millions of Americans.
Tiny House Nation with John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin
Friday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. | Sturgis Hall
In “Tiny House Nation,” renovation experts and hosts, John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin, will speak about their show and their knack for turning small spaces into livable oases. In their show, they travel across America to show off ingenious small spaces and the people who live in them, as well as help new families design and construct their own mini-dream home in a space no larger than 500 square feet.
John Wolohan on The Intersection of Athletics and Higher Education
Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. | Sturgis Hall
Attorney John Wolohan boasts a long resume of sports-related law including being one of the lead editors of the book “Law for Recreation and Sport Managers” by Cotten and Wolohan, as well as being the author of the “Sports Law Report,” a monthly article that appears in Athletic Business. He will discuss how athletics and higher education tie into each other and the impacts athletics can have.
John Bilheimer and Henry Jones
Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. | Sturgis Hall
John Bilheimer and Henry Jones bring the civil rights movement to life by offering a first-hand account of what life was like for a black teen and a white teen in the Deep South during the late 1950s.
Bilheimer and Jones will discuss their experiences growing up in Little Rock during the height of the battle over school desegregation from 1957-1959. The two grew up near one another before leaving the state to pursue their education. Billheimer earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arkansas and Harvard University; Jones attended Yale University and the University of Michigan. The pair did not meet until adulthood while working at Arkansas’ first integrated law firm.
Civic Hope: How Ordinary Americans Keep Democracy Alive
Thursday, Feb. 14 at noon | Sturgis Hall
“Civic Hope” is a history of what everyday Americans say – in their own words – about the government overseeing their lives. The book is based on a highly original analysis of 10,000 letters to the editor from 1948 to the present published in twelve U.S. cities. While Hart identifies worrisome trends, he also shows why the nation still thrives.
Roderick Hart is one of the most successful deans in the history of the Moody College at the University of Texas at Austin. He has taught in the Communication Studies Department since 1979 and is the author of 12 books. He has taught courses on political communication, rhetoric, and government and is a member of UT’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
Barry Rassin, President of Rotary International
Monday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. | Sturgis Hall
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the president of Rotary International. A Rotarian since 1980, Rassin has served Rotary as director and is vice chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. Rassin received Rotary’s highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, as well as other humanitarian awards for his work leading Rotary’s relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there.
Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation.
Panel Discussion with The Rep on “Chicago”
Thursday, Feb. 21 at noon | Sturgis Hall
Opportunity knocks when a crime of passion earns Roxie Hart the kind of notoriety that slick-talking attorney Billy Flynn can exploit for her dreams of fame and his hunger for fortune. Roxie quickly overshadows previous murderess, media darling, and fellow Cook County inmate – vaudevillian Velma Kelly. Set in the Jazz Age, Kander and Ebb’s legendary, Tony Award-winning musical takes a tantalizing look at how the times may change, but the allure of fame remains a fundamental motivation for those willing to sacrifice anything for the spotlight.
Join the cast of The Rep’s “Chicago” to discuss the production and more.
Tonya Allen, Center on Community Philanthropy Scholar in Residence
Friday, Feb. 22 at noon | Sturgis Hall
Tonya Allen, a serial “idea-preneur,” serves as the Skillman Foundation’s president and chief executive officer. Allen’s dates of residency at the Clinton School of Public Service are February 18-22, 2019.
Her two-decade-long career has centered on pursuing, executing and investing in ideas that improve her hometown of Detroit and reduce the plight of people, especially children, who live in under-resourced communities. In her current role, Allen aligns the complexities of education reform, urban revitalization, and public policy to improve the well-being of Detroit’s and the nation’s children.
Allen has been instrumental in many successful philanthropic, government and community initiatives, including serving the boys and men of color field as chair for Campaign for Black Male Achievement and co-chair for My Brother’s Keeper Detroit and Executives’ Alliance for Boys and Men of Color.
Muslims of the World: Portraits and Stories of Hope, Survival, Loss, and Love
Monday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. | Sturgis Hall
“Muslims of the World” tells the diverse stories of Muslims living in the U.S. and around the world. Illustrated throughout with moving photographs, each chapter focuses on different aspects of the Islamic faith and the many varying cultures it encompasses, offering tales of love, family, and faith while empowering Muslim women, refugees, and people of color. Whether it is telling a story about a young Syrian refugee who dreams of being a pilot or about a young girl’s decision to not remove her hijab, which in turn saved her family’s life, “Muslims of the World” aims to unite people of all cultures and faiths by sharing the hopes, trials, and tribulations of Muslims from every walk of life.