Category Archives: Lecture

Former Congressman discusses state of Congress tonight at Clinton School

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220px-Tom_Allen_110th_Congressional_portraitWith government shutdown, debt ceiling limit, continuing resolutions and other congressional contentions becoming hot topics for the general public, the Clinton School is featuring a speaker tonight at 6pm who has been in the halls of Congress.  This evening Congressman Tom Allen speaks about his book Dangerous Convictions: What’s Really Wrong with the U.S. Congress.

In his book “Dangerous Convictions,” former Congressman Tom Allen argues that what’s really wrong with the U.S. Congress is the widening, hardening gap in world-views that leaves the two parties unable to understand how the other thinks about what people should do on their own and what they are able to do together.

Allen represented Maine’s 1st congressional district from 1997 to 2009.  He was first elected by defeating incumbent James Longley Jr.  In 2008, he challenged incumbent Senator Susan Collins and was defeated.  Since then he has served as president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers.

Prior to serving in congress he had been a member of the Portland City Council, served as Mayor of Portland and ran for Governor of Maine.

The program will take place at Sturgis Hall.

*Reserve your seats for both programs by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501-683-5239.

Central High Integration 56th Anniversary Event This Evening

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centralentranceIt was 56 years ago today that the Little Rock Nine entered Little Rock Central High School and finally started their school year.  Each year this date is commemorated both at Little Rock Central High as well as by the National Park Service through its Little Rock Central High National Historic Site.

In keeping with the anniversary day of the 1957 Little Rock Central High School crisis, the National Park Service will be honoring Little Rock’s own Annie Abrams (who also celebrates a birthday today), a nationally recognized civil rights activist.  She will be lauded for her service to Little Rock and for her dedication to movements around the United States of America.

In the spirit of the work done by activists worldwide fighting for freedom and putting their lives on the line, the Park Service is presenting keynote speaker, Myrlie Evers-Williams. She is the widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers who was assassinated in the driveway of his home in Mississippi 50 years ago. Evers-Williams will address the accomplishments of her late husband and the work she continues as an agent for social justice.

Tonight at the Kendall Center on the campus of Philander Smith College, Annie Abrams, Reena Denise Evers-Everette (daughter of Medger and Myrlie Evers), and Myrlie Evers-Williams will receive the Soul of Humanity Award, given in recognition of outstanding commitment and service to social justice and lifelong action in the struggle for civil rights.

The program is free and open to the public.  It will take place at 6pm at the Kendall Center on the campus of Philander Smith College.

“A Land Inferior to None” – an evening celebrating “Arkansas: A Narrative History”

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The Old State House Museum will present “A Land Inferior to None,” a talk and book signing with Jeannie Whayne, George Sabo and Tom DeBlack, authors of “Arkansas: A Narrative History,” Second Edition, on Tuesday, September 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission to the talk is free. Those who wish to attend are encouraged to RSVP by calling (501) 324-8641 or visiting www.oldstatehouse.com/RSVP.

Deblack, Gatewood, Whayne, and Sabo

Deblack, Gatewood, Whayne, and Sabo

The book is a comprehensive state history that has been invaluable to students and the general public since its original publication over 10 years ago. The original edition won the Arkansiana Award when it was published in 2002, and the book is widely used in colleges throughout the state. The new edition has been updated and expanded with three additional chapters, including a new chapter on Arkansas geography. It also covers fresh material on the civil rights movement in the state and the struggle over integration, a new analysis of Arkansas’s school-funding issues and an examination of the Natural State’s transition from colonialism to its entry into the global political economy. The University of Arkansas Press published both editions of the award-winning textbook.

Jeannie Whayne is professor of history at the University of Arkansas. She is the author of “A New Plantation South: Land, Labor, and Federal Favor in Twentieth-Century Arkansas” and “Delta Empire: Lee Wilson and the Transformation of Agriculture in the New South.”

Tom DeBlack is professor of history at Arkansas Tech University. He is the author of “With Fire and Sword: Arkansas, 1861-1874.”

George Sabo is professor of anthropology at the University of Arkansas and director of the Arkansas Archeological Survey. His publications include “Rock Art in Arkansas” and “Paths of Our Children: Historic Indians of Arkansas.”

The Old State House Museum is a program of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.  Bill Gatewood is the Director of the Museum.  Martha Miller is the Director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

UALR Public Radio welcomes Frank Deford

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book3-maggyThe Friends of KLRE/KUAR will host a fundraiser featuring an evening with legendary sportswriter and public radio commentator Frank Deford on Thursday, September 19, at 7 p.m.

Admission to the event at Embassy Suites in Little Rock is $100, and tickets can be purchased online or by calling us at 501-569-8485.

$50 of the ticket amount is a tax-deductible donation to your non-profit public radio stations.

“Sports: The Hype and The Hypocrisy” will be the theme, and the event will include a dinner, talk and book signing with Deford.

Arkadelphia native and Southern Fried blogger Rex Nelson will be the master of ceremonies. A cash bar will precede the dinner in the foyer of the Embassy Suites ballroom.

“We are very excited to welcome Frank Deford to Little Rock,” says Katherine Lu, board president of the Friends of KLRE/KUAR. “He’s more than just an NPR personality. He’s a writer of great fiction and a national sports icon,” she says of the Baltimore native whose work appears regularly in Sports Illustrated, on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and on National Public Radio.

Deford is the author of 18 books, nine of them novels, and was awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Obama on July 10. His Wednesday morning sports commentaries are broadcast on KUAR FM 89 at 7:50.

Rex Nelson will be introducing Deford and conducting a question-and-answer session at the end of Deford’s presentation. Nelson is a regular political commentator on KUAR news, head of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges & Universities association, and a columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. His career started as broadcaster and sportswriter covering the Ouachita Baptist Tigers.

“Nelson is going to be a great host because he’s an expert on Arkansas culture with a background in politics, sports, and writing,” says Lu. “We hope that this event will help public radio reach a new segment of our listeners and get to know some of our more occasional listeners better.”

klre_logoImportance of the Fundraiser
The top priority is replacing the stations’ aging audio control boards used to broadcast programming and record local content.

“The equipment is more than 15 years old and starting to fail,” says General Manager Ben Fry, “and some of the parts for these control boards are getting hard to replace because they are no longer available.”

“Reporters, producers, and board operators are having technical problems. It’s time to update,” says Fry.

KUARAbout The Friends of KLRE/KUAR
The Friends of KLRE/KUAR is a non-profit organization that financially supports the two stations of UALR Public Radio.

With public radio, “members” of the Friends of KLRE/KUAR make financial contributions to support the stations’ annual operating budgets.

“Hundreds of listeners participate in our semi-annual fund drives and become members of UALR Public Radio,” says Development Director Mary Waldo. “But it’s been several years since we’ve hosted a major fundraiser,” she says. “This year our focus is to improve the equipment for KUAR FM 89 and KLRE Classical 90.5. We do rely on the support of our listeners and members to serve central Arkansas.”

About KUAR FM 89.1 and KLRE Classical 90.5
KLRE FM 90.5, Little Rock’s first public radio station, went live in 1973 and became a member of National Public Radio in 1984. KUAR FM 89.1 went on the air in 1986. Today, the two stations serve a third of the state’s population and even more people through live streaming on the internet. KUAR broadcasts news and information programming, including daily newsmagazines from NPR and local news. KLRE broadcasts classical music 24 hours a day.

Charles S. Dutton “Bless the Mic” tonight at Philander Smith

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Charles S. Dutton kicks off the 2013-14 Bless The Mic Lecture Series at Philander Smith College tonight.

This award winning actor, director and inspirational speaker will appear at 7pm.  

pscduttonA graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Tony nominee Charles S. Dutton’s career spans theater, television and film. From 1991 to 1994 he starred in the title role and executive produced the critically-acclaimed Fox comedy/drama Roc, for which he received several NAACP Image Award nominations. Dutton has numerous other television credits, having won Emmy Awards for his guest starring roles in Without a Trace and The Practice.  He also won an Emmy for directing the movie The Corner for HBO.  Most recently he can be seen in guest star roles on top shows Criminal Minds and American Horror Story as well as Longmire and Zero Hour.

The Baltimore native is also a veteran of numerous feature films, including Aliens 3; Cry, The Beloved Country; A Time to Kill; Get on the Bus; and Cookie’s Fortune. On Broadway he has starred in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Piano Lesson.  He received Tony nominations for the original productions of those titles. He also won both a Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.  In 2003, he starred in a revival of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on Broadway.

Bless The Mic is a contemporary spin on the traditional President’s Lecture Series. These events, held on hundreds of campuses across the country, have been a way to stimulate the intellectual discourse on the campus. Even today, these series seek to bring in noted scholars, authors, politicians and public intellectuals to expose not only the campus community to their ideas and concepts, but the broader community in which the institution resides.

Tues, Sep 10 at Tales from the South — Tin Roof Project: Lela Davidson

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lelatftstrp0913Though generally the first Tuesday of each month, this month Tales from the South has set aside the second Tuesday of the month to feature one person sharing their life story. They call it Tin Roof Project.  September’s featured guest is Lela Davidson.

Music is by the Salty Dogs and blues guitarist Mark Simpson.

Lela is an award-winning humorist and freelance journalist who loves media and marketing. She entertains and inspires audiences in print, web, video, and television. Author of Blacklisted from the PTA and Who Peed on My Yoga Mat? Lela writes and speaks about motherhood, marriage, marketing, and the challenges of being over-40 in a Botox world.

“Tales From the South” is a radio show created and produced by Paula Martin Morell, who is also the show’s host. The show is taped live on Tuesday. The night is a cross between a house concert and a reading/show, with incredible food and great company. Tickets must be purchased before the show, as shows are usually standing-room only.

“Tales from the South” is a showcase of writers reading their own true stories. While the show itself is unrehearsed, the literary memoirs have been worked on for weeks leading up to the readings. Stories range from funny to touching, from everyday occurrences to life-altering tragedies.

The program takes place at Starving Artist Café.  Dinner is served from 5pm to 6:30pm, the show starts at 7pm.  Admission is $7.50, not including dinner.

You MUST purchase your ticket before the show

Previous episodes of “Tales from the South” air on KUAR Public Radio on Thursdays at 7pm.


Racial Etiquette and Civil Rights Struggle focus of UALR talk tonight

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NashvilleWayDr. Benjamin Houston of Newcastle University and author of the new book, “The Nashville Way: Racial Etiquette and the Struggle for Social Justice in a Southern City,” will give a lecture on racial change at 6 p.m. Thursday, September 5, at the Historic Arkansas Museum.

Houston’s talk, “A Manner of Segregation,” is an opportunity for dialogue about how people in the South reacted to the dismantling of segregation as a way of life in the 1950s and 60s.

The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the museum and the UALR Department of History.

Houston is a lecturer in modern U.S. history. His research interests include civil rights, the African American freedom struggle, history of the U.S. South, 20th century U.S. history, and oral history.

For more information, contact Dr. Barclay Key, professor in the UALR Department of History at 501.569.8782.