Fayetteville celebrates Black History month

Fayetteville artist Dee Dee Lamb talks about her painting with Verda Watson on Sunday during Compassion Fayetteville’s Black History Celebration Day at St. James Missionary Baptist Church The event featured art, music and a reception. Lamb paints historic scenes of Civil War Fayetteville.
Fayetteville artist Dee Dee Lamb talks about her painting with Verda Watson on Sunday during Compassion Fayetteville’s Black History Celebration Day at St. James Missionary Baptist Church The event featured art, music and a reception. Lamb paints historic scenes of Civil War Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Contemporary history was celebrated Sunday during the Fayetteville Black History Celebration Day at St. James Baptist Church.

Sydni Adams, 10, lingered after the meeting, taking pictures of her father's portrait on display at the church among other local leaders. She learned about history during the celebration, Sydni said, and she's proud of her dad Paul Adams who teaches biochemistry and chemistry at the University of Arkansas, she said. Of course, she doesn't think of him as history.

Fayetteville Month of Compassion

Black History month was remembered in Fayetteville from programs honoring the unique history of African-Americans in Fayetteville to a segregation film at the Fayetteville Public Library. Events were part of Compassion Fayetteville an initiative developed from the Fayetteville Forward Economic Accountability Council Inclusion Group.

Source: Compassion Fayetteville

Paul Adams is an associate professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry program of cellular and molecular biology.

He made history in 2012 as the first tenured African-American in the chemistry department.

"But he's not dead yet," Sydni said.

History and the making of history is what the day was about, said Danielle Wood, director of the equal opportunity and compliance office at the University of Arkansas.

"Black history is our history. We've all played a part in that," she told the crowd.

Community leaders and local artists offered inspiration Sunday.

The stage was surrounded by crisp black and white images from "Let There Be Light -- 100 African-American Men" a portrait project of photographer Andrew Kilgore.

The portraits are the Fayetteville start to what will be a larger display, he said. Local pastors, a professor, a longtime Fayetteville resident, a university student and businessmen are among the group. His photography goal is to change stereotypes, Kilgore said.

"When I get looking in the eyes of another person I see God looking back at me," Kilgore said.

DeeDee Lamb talked about the Henderson School for black students, built in 1868.

Mayor Lioneld Jordan called for diversity, equality and inclusion.

"I believe that there is this table of equality and everybody has a seat at the table," Jordan said.

Excluding any person from the table of equality is wrong, Jordan said.

David Gearhart, University of Arkansas chancellor, talked about progress at the university, the first Southern institution to desegregate without court order. That change had its hurdles and it has taken years to correct basic problems, Gearhart said. There are still changes yet to be made, Gearhart said, pointing to the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Robert E. Lee Day.

"It represents a slight to the progress that's been made in the last few decades," Gearhart said.

He's also talked to hundreds, if not thousands, of students who face out-of-state tuition because of their status as undocumented immigrant. All they want is an education, he said.

"It's wrong to keep a young person who came to this country as a child -- through no volition of their own -- from getting a college education," Gearhart said.

Organizers said the day was about facilitating conversation.

"I believe we can change the world if we start listening to each other again," said D'Andre Jones, organizer.

Fayetteville is one of the overlooked diversity gems of the South, Jones told the group. He pointed to the integration of city schools in 1954. The city can build on its history and make it relevant today, he said.

Integration was a first-hand experience for Patricia "Micey" Polk, lifelong Fayetteville resident. There were six black students in a white junior high that first year, she said. Her first day she and a friend chased down a boy who called her a pickaninny. Last year he bumped into her in a grocery story and they chatted. She had to stand up for herself, but after the first day they had become friends, she said.

"The kids made it alright. We all got along just fine," Polk said.

There is still work to do, Jones said.

Sunday itself was history. This is the first time the city of Fayetteville has decreed a Black History Month, Jones said. Events throughout the month have been a success.

Sunday's event was put on by Compassion Fayetteville, endorsed by the city through the Fayetteville Forward Economic Accountability Council's Inclusion Group.

"Contact is the beginning of compassion," Marcus Caruthers, senior pastor of Dwelling Place Fayetteville, told the group Sunday. Until you know a person you can't show compassion, he said. One candle that gives light to another candle never loses its light, he said.

Kilgore said that is why he created the photographs.

"The same light is inside all of us," he said.

Amye Buckley can be reached by email at abuckley@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAAmye.

NW News on 02/23/2015

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