FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A series of five posters on “Amazing African American Leaders of Arkansas” has been developed by the Special Collections Department of the University of Arkansas Libraries. The posters feature photos and biographical sketches and were designed to be used by junior high school teachers of Arkansas history.

The five “amazing leaders” are Charlotte Stephens of Little Rock, who became Arkansas’ first black teacher in 1868 and went on to a teaching career of 70 years; Joseph C. Corbin, the founder and long-time president of Branch Normal College in Pine Bluff, today known as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; Scott Bond, a prominent farmer and businessman from eastern Arkansas who was known as the “Black Rockefeller of Arkansas”; Silas Hunt, the World War II veteran who integrated the University of Arkansas Law School in 1948; and Daisy Bates, the NAACP leader who led the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

Tom W. Dillard, head of the Special Collections Department, said the posters are part of a larger strategy to share the holdings of his department with students and teachers throughout the state. He also noted that Arkansas history is now required in the public schools, and the posters will assist teachers in their teaching of the subject.

On the back of each poster is a complete lesson plan and other instructional aids that will enable teachers to use the posters effectively in the classroom. The lesson plans include classroom teaching strategies and assessment tools, and the instructional aids comprise supplementary reading lists, glossaries of terms, and timelines that provide historical context.

The five posters will be sent free of charge to any Arkansas teacher or school administrator who asks for them. The general public can obtain a set of the posters for $25, shipping included. For more information on specific collections related to the poster series or to request copies, please contact the UA Special Collections Dept. at 365 N. McIlroy Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72701, or by e-mail at specoll@uark.edu or by phone at (479) 575-5577.