Pryor Center Presents 'We Who Believe in Freedom: The Black Politics of Elaine, AR'

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Mayor Lisa Gilbert, left, and assistant professor Najja K. Baptist.

As part of the Pryor Center Presents lecture series, Najja K. Baptist and Elaine Mayor Lisa Gilbert will present "We Who Believe in Freedom: The Black Politics of Elaine, Arkansas" at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The event is sponsored by the Department of Political Science, the African and African American Studies Program and the Gamma Eta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi.

This fireside chat between Gilbert, founder of the Descendants of the Elaine Massacre of 1919 (DOEM1919), and Baptist, a professor of Black politics at the U of A, will be a deeply engaging and thought-provoking discussion. The conversation will delve into the history of the tragic Elaine Massacre and its lasting impact on the community of Elaine. Gilbert will share her personal journey, recounting her transition from being an organizer and community activist to assuming the role of mayor. The speakers will explore the challenges and triumphs currently facing the community, reflecting on the historical significance of the massacre and the ongoing efforts to promote healing, justice and empowerment. The fireside chat will provide a platform for meaningful dialogue, fostering a greater understanding of the past and present experiences of the Elaine community.

A social justice activist, writer and poet in her native Elaine, Gilbert founded the DOEM1919 in 2020 to honor and preserve the stories of the victims, survivors and descendants of the Elaine Massacre. She also serves as volunteer program manager at Lee Street Community Center, overseeing programs aimed at addressing many disparities and injustices including housing, health, food insecurity and education.

In 2022, Gilbert ran for mayor with a focus on enhancing the quality of life for all residents by creating an inclusive, safe and equitable community. She was elected to a four-year term, becoming the first Black mayor and first elected female mayor of Elaine.

Baptist is assistant professor of political science at the U of A. He is a three-time HBCU graduate, earning his doctorate in political science from Howard University. Baptist's work primarily focuses on what shapes political choice. His work has appeared on CNN and in numerous journals such as National Political Science Review; Journal of Race and Ethnicity; Politics, Groups, and Identities; and other outlets.

Baptist is a two-time NSF grant awardee. He is the founding director of the University Advance Research Team, which trains students at the U of A and five other universities, including two HBCUs. Baptist is the director of the African and African American Studies Program at the U of A. His forthcoming book with NYU Press, In the Spirit, In the Dark: Black Music and Activism, examines how citizens use music to understand politics.

The Pryor Center is located at 1 E. Center St., Suite 120. The event is free and open to the public, and parking is available on the Fayetteville Square.

About the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History: The David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History is an oral history program with the mission to document the history of Arkansas through the collection of spoken memories and visual records, preserve the collection in perpetuity, and connect Arkansans and the world to the collection through the Internet, TV broadcasts, educational programs, and other means. The Pryor Center records audio and video interviews about Arkansas history and culture, collects other organizations' recordings, organizes these recordings into an archive, and provides public access to the archive, primarily through the website at pryorcenter.uark.edu. The Pryor Center is the state's only oral and visual history program with a statewide, seventy-five county mission to collect, preserve, and share audio and moving image recordings of Arkansas history.

About the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with three schools, 16 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the majority of the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.