Wednesday, 26 October 2011

African American Heritage Grants Available

The Arkansas Humanities Council is now accepting applications from not-for-profit or non-profit groups for African American Heritage Grants.  The grants are possible because of the efforts of Senator Stephanie Flowers of Pine Bluff.  She introduced legislation during the last legislative session to provide funds for the planning, researching, designing, and publication of African american Heritage materials.  Ultimately $20,357 was allocated to the Department of Arkansas Heritage for this special initiative.

The council, in collaboration with the Department of Arkansas Heritage, will award grants of up to $2,000 and provide technical assistance workshops to successful applicants.  The deadline for applications is January 3, 2012.  The African American Heritage Grants application guidelines may be found in the Grants section of the council website (this website - arkhums.org).  Please contact Lavona Wilson at 501-320-5761 or lavonawilson@sbcglobal.net if you have any questions.

Wednesday, 06 July 2011

Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Traveling Exhibit

The Arkansas Humanities Council is excited to be handling the distribution of this great new exhibit.  A cooperative effort of the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission and The Old State House Museum, the exhibit includes a timeline and dozens of images of people, places, and battles in Arkansas.  The Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission issued a press release about the exhibit in early June as it was being unveiled at the Cox Creative Center in Little Rock.  Some information about the exhibit and how to reserve it were announced at that time. As a result, it is already reserved for the rest of 2011.  There are many available dates in 2012 and beyond.  When set up, it is 12'6" long, 13" wide, and 91" tall.  It ships in three cases and each case measures 49" long, 14" wide, and 29" tall.  Two cases weigh 110 lbs. each and the third case weighs 95 lbs.  All three cases have wheels.  There is no loan fee and loan period is generally two weeks.  We ship it to you via UPS and the only cost to the borrower is shipping it back to Arkansas Humanities Council's office in Little Rock.  Please contact Robin Phelps at Arkansas Humanities Council, 501.320.5761, or by email at mailto:robinphelps@sbcglobal.net for more detailed information about the exhibit and available dates.

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

NEH Chairman Visits Arkansas

NEH Chairman Visits Arkansas

Jim Leach, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and former congressman from Iowa, visited Arkansas April 27-28, one of his stops on a 50-state tour focused on bringing civility to public discourse.  He presented his "Words Do Matter" lecture at the Clinton School of Public Service on April 28.  Chairman Leach was appointed NEH chairman by President Obama in 2009.

NEH photo by Greg Powers and Audrey Crewe

Leach had dinner with AHC board members, guests and staff on April 27 and discussed NEH and the work of the state councils.  He accompanied AHC Board Chair Pat Ramsey and the others to Bold Pilgrim Cemetery in Morrilton the following morning to tour and meet with members of the Bold Pilgrim Cemetery Preservation Association.  Leach viewed the film   "Buried Treasures: The Stories of Bold Pilgrim Cemetery" and enjoyed a potluck dinner and discussion of the film with association members and community friends.  The film and the cemetery preservation and documentation project were funded by AHC grants.

In his opening remarks at the Clinton School, Leach observed that few topics might seem "duller" than concern for civil discourse.  He said that civility impies politeness, but civil discourse is about more than etiquette...
civility requires respectful engagement: a willingness to consider other views and place them in the context of history, philosophy, and life experiences."

His focus established, Leach reflected on "politicians and their supporters who use inflammatroy rhetoric to divide the country."  He noted that while "politicians may prevail by tearing down rather than uplifting...if elected, they cannot then unite an angered citizenry."

Leach ended his lecture with a reference to the work of William Butler Yeats.  "In Western civilization's most prophetic poem, 'The Second Coming,' William Butler Yeats suggests that "the centre cannot hold when the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."

During his Arkansas visit, Leach was also interviewed by Steve Barnes of Arkansas Educational Television Network, the Arkansas PBS affiliate.  AETN continues to broadcast this interview.

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

New R.E.A.C.H. Grants

The Arkansas Humanities Council is pleased to announce the new Raising Education Achievement and Competence in the Humanities (R.E.A.C.H.) grant initiative.

The R.E.A.C.H. initiative is supported by a generous grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

This is a very exciting opportunity for teachers and librarians who wish to expand humanities education in the classroom in new innovative ways.  One of the advantages of the R.E.A.C.H. grant initiative is that it offers teachers and librarians up to $2,000 for humanities-related professional development opportunities directly tied to Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) credentialing.

The Arkansas Humanities Council will be accepting R.E.A.C.H. grant application beginning May 1, 2011.  For more information, please contact Jama Best, Senior Program Officer, Arkansas Humanities Council, 407 President Clinton Avenue, Suite 201, Little Rock, AR  72201 or 501.320.5761 or via email at jamabest@sbcglobal.net.

Friday, 17 December 2010

Revised Guidelines for Grant Applications

Revised Guidelines for Grant Applications
Effective January 1, 2011

The Arkansas Humanities Council board  has approved revisions to the council’s Guidelines for Grant Applications.  The guidelines contain a number of changes.  For example, applicants may now apply for research minigrants.  Also, applicants must attach a Humanities Scholar Participation Agreement form to each application.
In addition, applicants will be required to apply for a federal DUNS number.  Please contact council staff with your questions about the guidelines at Arkansas Humanities Council, 407 President Clinton Avenue, Suite 201, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201; telephone (501) 320-5761, email ahc@sbcglobal.net; website: arkhums.org.

Thursday, 23 September 2010

Council Funds Innovative Cemetery Project

The Arkansas Humanities Council awarded a $3,384 grant to Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery for its Oakland-Fraternal Cell Phone Audio Tour project and $1,000 for its Digitization of Fraternal Cemetery Records project.  Auguda Ashim, B'nai Israel, Fraternal, Jewish Oaklnad, and Oakland cemeteries are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The cell phone tour features stories about people from various backgrounds.  Tour subjects include:

John E. Bush (1856-1916), African American leader, politician, businessman and co-founder of the Mosaic Templars of America. 

Catherine C. Cunningham (1849-1908), editor of The Women's Chronicle, a weekly suffragette paper and the first suffragette paper to be published by Southern women.

Mifflin W. Gibbs (1849-1908), first elected African American municipal judge in the United States.

Father Kallinikos Kanellas(1837-1921), selected as priest for the Greek Orthodox Church.  Father Kanellas is thought to be the first Orthodox priest of Greek ancestry to come to the United States.

Chester W. Keatts(1854-1908), co-founded the Mosaic Templars of America in 1882.  Keatts served as a U.S. Deputy Marshall for the Eastern District of Arkansas in 1876.

John Kennedy (1834-1910), awarded the Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor in 1892 for resisting the advancing Confederate Calvary at Trevilian Station, Virginai on June 11, 1864.

Chester W. Keats (1817-1867), the fourth governor of Arkansas.

Calvin Sanders (1827-1911), enslaved at birth and sold at age 14 to an Arkansan, he later gained his freedom, became a successful businessman, and was elected to the city council in 1868.

Rabbi Ira Eugene Sanders (1894-1985), civil rights activist and promoter of social work in Arkansas.

Rev. Y.B. Sims (1840-1914), a pastor of First Congregational Church who was active in protesting the Separate Coach Law of 1898.

Charlotte A. Stephens (1854-1951), the first African American teacher in Little Rock.

Daniel Phillips Upham (1832-1882), an Arkansas State Militia commander who led a successful militia campaignagainst the Ku Klux Klan in the Militia War from 1868-1869.

Cell Phone Tour Opened on September 19, 2010

Visitors attend the opening of the Oakland Fraternal Cell Phone Audio Tour 

  Mayor Stodola with Masons and Templars at unveiling of National Historic plaque

 Mosaic Templars of America members Andre' Guerrero and John Graves with John Bush, III, descendant of John E. Bush

 Prince Hall Grand Master, Cleveland K.  Wilson, center, stands with Mayor Stodola

Senior District Deputy Grand Master, Marion Butler, second from left, with Worthy Matron, Carlas Smith 

  AHC Executive Director, Paul Austin, enjoys tour

Photos courtesy of Carla Hines Coleman

Oakland Fraternal Board Member and Chair of the Arkansas Black History Commission

Oakland, Fraternal, Jewish Oakland, and Confederate Cemeteries are located at 2101 Barber Avenue in Southwest Little Rock.  You may take the cell phone history tour by calling (501) 708-0011.  A call from your cell phone will use your minutes.