Audio Tour Spotlights Civil Rights history in Little Rock
Did you know there is an audio tour you can download to your phone that gives snippets of civil rights history for over 35 sites in Little Rock?
You can download the audio at the Little Rock CVB site and learn about this piece of Arkansas history. Spots on the tour include schools, cemeteries, parks, museums, neighborhoods and more. Some of the stops on the tour include include:
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
This center was founded in Little Rock in 1882 as a fraternal organization by John E. Bush and Chester W. Keatts. The reconstructed museum is dedicated to preserving and celebrating Arkansas’s African-American culture and community.
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
The only active high school in the U.S. that is also a national historic site. This school was a major test in 1957 of the Civil Rights act where nine (the Little Rock Nine) African-American students integrated the all-white school. The visitor center across the street at 2120 W. Daisy Gatson Bates Drive depicts this moment in history through exhibits and photos.
Historic Arkansas Museum
The Historic Arkansas Museum at 200 East Third Street interprets early Arkansas history through Little Rock’s oldest buildings and exhibits. “Giving Voice” is a permanent memorial on site that highlights African-American history connected to the location. Changing exhibits in the museum’s galleries often include ones related to African- American history and heritage.
Dreamland Ballroom
A red brick building at 800 West 9th Street serves as a piece of cultural history for Little Rock.Built in 1916, Taborian Hall was the cultural hub of the city's black community, and is the last remaining original building of a historic black business district once known as “The Line.” When it was built, it was headquarters for the Arkansas Chapter of the Knights and Daughters of the Tabor, a black fraternal organization. The third-floor is home to the Dreamland Ballroom, which hosted many famous entertainers back in the day including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. Now the building is the headquarters and storefront of the business Arkansas Flag and Banner.