The following is a guest blog post from the Office of Scholarly Communications.
In 1948, when Silas Hunt started classes at the University of Arkansas School of Law, he became the first African American to enroll in any White Southern university since the Reconstruction Era. Despite this landmark event, racial minorities at the U of A have continued to face many challenges. And they have continued to advocate for civil rights.
In 1968, 20 years after Hunt’s enrollment, students founded their own organization, Black Americans for Democracy (BAD), to coordinate advocacy efforts and launched their own newspaper, BAD Times, to raise awareness of racial injustice. BAD’s agenda covered not only an increase in the number of Black students and faculty but also their inclusion on the cheerleading team, the University administration, and the yearbook editorial staff. Recognizing the significance of Black history and culture, BAD called for the creation of a Black Studies program.
Beyond their notable achievements on our campus, these young activists inspired a long-lasting legacy of civil rights activism. In 2020, Chancellor Charles Robinson led an Honors College Forum to celebrate this legacy and allow students to hear directly from the activists themselves. Guest speakers included journalist Gerald Jordan, Fort Smith Mayor George McGill, and Lady Razorback Jailyn Mason.
Curious? You can view the video recordings of Chancellor Robinson’s seminar in ScholarWorks@UARK. You can also read historic copies of BAD Times on the University of Arkansas Libraries Digital Collections website. Come and learn. Come and find inspiration.