On Wednesday, February 20th, the School of Mass Communication, the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity, and the Multicultural Center will be presenting a screening of DREAM LAND: LITTLE ROCK’S WEST 9th STREET. The screening will be at 6:00 pm in the Stella Boyle Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building. Director Gabe Mayhan and producer Tanisha Joe-Conway will be there in person, and a Q & A will follow the screening.

This 2017 film chronicles the history of Little Rock’s West 9th Street. West 9th Street was once a vibrant, African-American business and entertainment district. Taborian Hall is the only remaining historic structure on West 9th Street and stands as a living witness to the street’s former glory days, which featured performers such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Etta James, and many more. The documentary details the history of this district, the black community in Little Rock and race relations in the city, and explores the impact of federal programs such as urban renewal, school desegregation, the Housing Act of 1949, and the Eisenhower Interstate Program. Admission is free to all.