During the last 30 days the Institute on Race and Ethnicity participated in conferences, symposiums, programs, and forums that encouraged public discourse on matters related to race and ethnicity around the state. Read on for details.
MLK Observance
Arkansas National Guard
On Thursday, Jan. 29, Institute on Race and Ethnicity director, Dr. Michael R. Twyman, addressed the Arkansas National Guard at the organization’s MLK Day Observance titled “King: Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not a Day Off.” Twyman’s speech drew from King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail to encourage listeners to serve their communities and to speak out against injustice. The Ceremony also included presentations by Guard members and a solo rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” by Sergeant Willis Chambers. Sergeant Jacqueline Hoyer served as the Master of Ceremonies.
African American Male Initiative Consortium and Conference
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
The 5th Annual AAMI Conference Consortium took place Feb. 19 & 20 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The conference consortium, produced by Darryl McGee and Harvell Howard both of University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s office of Student Service Success Initiatives, focused on standards, benchmarks, and strategies necessary for effective African American Male initiatives that increase retention and graduation rates. On Thursday, Feb. 19, Dr. Michael Twyman helped kick off the conference by giving a presentation entitled “Teaching Truth to Power” to the Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence.
The Commemorative Symposium on the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of Malcolm X
Philander Smith College
In observance of World Day of Social Justice, on Friday, February 20, the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College presented a commemorative symposium on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X. Taking place on the Philander Smith College campus, the program consisted of two panels. The first panel, Pan Africanism, Nationalism, Contemporaries and Gender, was moderated by Dr. Tonya Williams of Johnson C. Smith University. Panelists were UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity’s Dr. Michael Twyman, along with Dr. Niambi Carter of Temple University, Dr. Kelly Harris of Chicago State University, and Kurt Young of Clark-Atlanta University.
The second panel, COINTELPRO: Theology & Legacy, was also moderated by Dr. Tonya Williams. Panelists were Professor Adjoa Aiyetoro, University of Arkansas Bowen Law School; Rev. Malik Saafir, University of Central Arkansas; and Min. Terrance Thomas of Garrett-Evangelical Theology School.
Civic and Community Engagement Symposium
Arkansas Northeastern College
The Arkansas Northeastern College presented on Feb. 24-25, the “Come Walk in My Shoes” Black History program on the ANC campus. With Dr. Michael Twyman as the moderator, the panel included Mrs. Alice Patterson of Justice at the Gate, San Antonio Texas; Mr. Tommy Baker, former Arkansas State Representative; Mayor James Sanders, Blytheville; Mr. Doug Echols, Arkansas Northeastern College W.O.R.K. program.
The Glass House Discussion Forum
Southern Arkansas University
The quarterly The Glass House discussion forum was held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, at the Asbury Methodist Church’s Fellowship Hall in Magnolia. Forum attendees considered the question, “Why is 11:00 on Sunday morning the most segregated hour of the week?”
The Glass House is a discussion forum hosted by Dr. Linda Tucker, associated professor of English at Southern Arkansas University and Dr. Michael Twyman, director of the UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity. Tucker founded the Glass House in memory of one of her former students, Heather Glass, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 22.
For more information about The Glass House as well as the date and location of the next meeting, contact Tucker at (870) 235-4210 or LindaTucker@suamag.edu.
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The Institute on Race and Ethnicity at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock 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.
