Fort Smith Times

Throughout the month of February, the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith will host a slate of events honoring and celebrating Black History.

This year’s Black History Month theme, “Keeping Hope Alive,” pays homage to the social institutions that have coalesced to form the bedrock of Black hope in America. Education, government, and religion have historically been and remain integral cornerstones of African American success, said Lynette Thrower, chair of the Black History Month committee.“Keeping Hope Alive examines the history, current state, and future of these institutions for African Americans through in-depth panel discussions, such as “Trends in Education” and the “Intersection of Religion and Politics,” as well as through the lenses of the “Now and Then” and “Arkansas African American Legislators – 1863-1898" exhibitions. Other areas of historical examination include a lecture on “Shaping Freedom in Post-Civil War Arkansas” and a multi-generational conversation on the African American barbershop as a hub for information exchange and inspiration,” Thrower said.Events kicked off with a craft talk and lecture with two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead.

Original source can be found here.