Tag Archives: Clinton Foundation

Harry Thomason discusses BROTHER DOG: SOUTHERN TALES & HOLLYWOOD ADVENTURES today

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Producer and native Arkansan Harry Thomason will discuss his new book Brother Dog: Southern Tales & Hollywood Adventures today (November 10) at 3pm at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall.  The program is a partnership of the Clinton School of Public Service, Clinton Foundation, and Central Arkansas Library System.

Film and TV-movie producer Harry Thomason has worked with Burt Reynolds, Hal Holbrook, Gregory Peck, and Billy Bob Thornton, among others. His self-effacing stories– both humorous and poignant – are told as only a true raconteur can tell them. Thomason lives in Los Angeles with his wife, creator/writer Linda Bloodworth Thomason (“Designing Women,” “Evening Shade,” “Heart’s Afire”).

A humor-laced episodic memoir, “Brother Dog” is the story of a working-class childhood in the rural South during the 1950s and 60s, striving to become a filmmaker on an ever-expanding stage, helping elect a friend to the presidency, and anecdotal encounters with Chuck Berry, Prime Minister Tony Blair and other luminaries, all rich in imagery, grit, and humor.

Angie Maxwell and Todd Shields discuss The Long Southern Strategy at Clinton School and Clinton Foundation program tonight

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44765473Angie Maxwell and Todd Shields will speak tonight about their book The Long Southern Strategy tonight (September 19) at 6pm.  The program, a joint presentation of the Clinton School and Clinton Foundation, will take place in the Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center.

The Southern Strategy is traditionally understood as a Goldwater and Nixon-era effort by the Republican Party to win over disaffected white voters in the Democratic stronghold of the American South. To realign these voters with the GOP, the party abandoned its past support for civil rights and used racially coded language to capitalize on southern white racial angst.

However, that decision was but one in a series of decisions the GOP made not just on race, but on feminism and religion as well, in what Angie Maxwell and Todd Shields call the “Long Southern Strategy.”

In the wake of Second-Wave Feminism, the GOP dropped the Equal Rights Amendment from its platform and promoted traditional gender roles in an effort to appeal to anti-feminist white southerners, particularly women. And when the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention became increasingly fundamentalist and politically active, the GOP tied its fate to the Christian Right. With original, extensive data on national and regional opinions and voting behavior, Maxwell and Shields show why all three of those decisions were necessary for the South to turn from blue to red.

To make inroads in the South, however, GOP politicians not only had to take these positions, but they also had to sell them with a southern “accent.” Republicans embodied southern white culture by emphasizing an “us vs. them” outlook, preaching absolutes, accusing the media of bias, prioritizing identity over the economy, encouraging defensiveness, and championing a politics of retribution. In doing so, the GOP nationalized southern white identity, rebranded itself to the country at large, and fundamentally altered the vision and tone of American politics.

All Clinton School Speaker Series events are free and open to the public. Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239.

Exhibit celebrating the work of sculptor Jose Sacal opens at Clinton Center

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José Sacal: A Universal MexicanA new exhibit is now open at the Clinton Presidential Center.  José Sacal: A Universal Mexican is presented in celebration of the CCIX Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico and National Hispanic Heritage Month

This exhibit is displayed in partnership with the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock and the José Sacal Micha Foundation.

José Sacal is undoubtedly one of the most prominent representatives of contemporary sculptural art. Known for his experimentation and freedom, Sacal recognized no boundaries in his sources of inspiration and was not afraid to find new meaning in old forms.

José Sacal: A Universal MexicanJosé Sacal: A Universal Mexican includes two groups of the artist’s work: sculptures inspired by other works of art and portraits of historical figures. In his works, Sacal finds the essence of each character or work. It can be a detail or an object, but the rest is something deeper. By recreating them, Sacal gives them a new meaning and establishes an artistic dialogue at a higher level. In his intelligent observation of art and history, Sacal reveals himself as a universal Mexican.

José Sacal: A Universal Mexican is sponsored locally by Arvest Bank, Arkansas Tech University, Centennial Bank, Hope Credit Union, ISTI Plant Services, Morelos Supermercados, Bank of America, First Community Bank, First Security Bank, and The Ramirez Law Firm, PLLC.

Get a #SharkWeek Selfie at the Clinton Center

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Shark Week

It’s Shark Week! Celebrate this popular summer TV tradition by taking a photo with Greta the Great White Shark in the Clinton Center’s Washed Ashore exhibit.

Greta is 16 feet long and made entirely of plastic debris collected from beaches. Explore the rest of the exhibit and see more than 20 giant sea life creatures, all made from beach toys, flip flops, bottles, and more!