By Michael Stefans, Intern
The fall semester is veering around the corner at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Soon freshmen will be scurrying around campus, looking for their dorms and rushing to buy their books.
This scene may have been similar for the first African-American students to attend UALR in 1964. Only 50 years ago seven students integrated UALR – then Little Rock University.
Here’s a civil rights playlist, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of racial integration at UALR and ease those back-to-school jitters.
Lift those headphones and enjoy the crisp tunes below:
A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
R-E-S-P-E-C-T – Aretha Franklin
Keep Your Eye on the Prize – Bruce Springsteen
The Times They Are A’ Changin’ – Bob Dylan
Oh Freedom – Harry Belafonte
Message from a black man – The Temptations
For a list of even more songs inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, go to npr.org.
Looking for something more thorough? Check out this list of books and journals or register for the Intro to Race and Ethnicity course.
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The Institute on Race and Ethnicity at UALR was founded in July 2011. With a vision to make Arkansas the best state in the country for promoting and celebrating racial and ethnic diversity, the Institute conducts research, promotes scholarship and provides programs that address racial inequities. It does so by facilitating open and honest dialogue aimed at empowering communities and informing public policy to achieve more equitable outcomes. For more information, visit ualr.edu/race-ethnicity or the Institute’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Arkworktogether.
