Binns to Present on Arkansas and Socialism March 4

Kelsey Lovewell Lippard

Samuel Binns

The University Libraries' and Graduate School and International Education's Graduate Student Speaker Series continues this semester with Samuel Binns, a second-year graduate assistant in English and a Master of Fine Arts candidate in creative writing. Binns will present "To Labor for Justice: Arkansas and Socialism" at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, in Mullins Library Room 130. This event is free and open to the public. 

"To Labor for Justice: Arkansas & Socialism explores the socialist past of Arkansas and the genre of socialist writing, supplemented by a creative nonfiction piece that imagines a Natural State centered around Beloved Community," said Binns. "This presentation seeks to exhibit the power of people coming together and discovering the power within themselves to enact change." 

In his research, Binns used the Socialist Party Documents and the papers of James David Bales, William Henry Cobb, Henry Clay East, Charles J. Finger, Clay Fulks and William A. Gilbert. The public is welcome to view and use these documents any time Special Collections is open. 

The Graduate Student Speaker Series debuted in fall 2018 as a platform for students to share the research they have conducted using Special Collections materials. Graduate students from all majors who are interested in presenting on the research they have done using Special Collections materials are encouraged to visit the speaker series webpage.