KUAF Streams Documentary 'Arkansas Ozarks African Americans' for First Time

African American tourists visiting Eureka Springs.
Eureka Springs Historical Museum

African American tourists visiting Eureka Springs.

Arkansas Ozarks African Americans: 1820 to 1950, a two-hour public radio documentary, chronicles the historic black communities of Washington, Carroll, Benton and Boone counties over a span of 130 years. Written and produced by investigative journalist Jacqueline Froelich, the documentary is the first comprehensive black history to profile the significant presence of and contributions by African Americans to Arkansas Ozarks culture.

Narrated by Fayetteville resident Julia Rose Sampson and hosted by KUAF operations manager Pete Hartman, this documentary features interviews with contemporary Ozark African Americans, black history scholars, local historians and white residents, and is illuminated by reenactments gleaned from archived diaries, news paper articles, and published historical records.

Arkansas Ozarks African Americans also unearths, for the first time, events leading up to the ethnic cleansing of Harrison, beginning in 1905 — a history that remained buried for almost a century; chronicles a mass lynching in nearby Springfield, Missouri; and sheds new light on a race war that destroyed the prosperous black district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where hundreds reportedly perished.

Produced in 2000, this investigative history was funded by the Arkansas Humanities Council and is a winner of an American Association for State and Local History Award, which recognizes achievement in the preservation and interpretation of local, state and regional history.

Arkansas Ozark African Americans can be found on KUAF.com.

Contacts

Jacqueline Froelich, senior news producer
KUAF
479-575-6408, froelich@uark.edu

Headlines

Peter Ungar Chosen as Member of the National Academy of Sciences

A distinguished professor of anthropology and director of environmental dynamics, Ungar is the first U of A faculty member to be elected to the prestigious Academy.

Ag Technology Students Visit Greenway Equipment, Learn About Advances in Machinery

Members of the U of A's Agricultural Systems and Technology Club recently spent a day at the Greenway Technology Farm in Newport to learn about advances featured in John Deere tractors and machinery.

College of Education and Health Professions WE CARE Everywhere Campaign Kicks Off This Summer

Retractable scroll banners with the phrase "WE CARE Everywhere" are small enough to fit any suitcase and just waiting for your chance to shine in social media posts throughout the summer.

Staff Senators for 2024-25 Elected

Twelve newly elected staff members will begin serving the U of A staff community for three-year terms beginning July 1 on the university's Staff Senate.

Matlock Briefs Congressional Staff Regarding Crop Sustainability Research

Professor Marty Matlock briefed U.S. House of Representative and Senate staff members on research conducted by the U of A regarding the effects of management practices on crop sustainability.

News Daily