Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Showcases African-American History

Kerry Kraus, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

A long-awaited museum which preserves an integral part of Arkansas history opened in late 2008 as the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center unlocked its doors. The facility, which is devoted solely to the state’s African-American heritage, highlights the culture of the area from 1870 to today.

Located at the corner of Broadway and 9th Streets in downtown Little Rock, the center is in a re-created building (the original 1911 structure was destroyed in a 2005 fire) that once housed the Mosaic Templars of America. This influential black fraternal organization was founded in Little Rock in 1883 by John E. Bush and Chester W. Keatts to provide insurance and other services for the black community. The business was one of many thriving African-American endeavors along Ninth Street that, in its heyday, was called “Little Harlem.”

At the height of the Templars’ influence in the 1920s, the group’s membership numbered in the tens of thousands and boasted chapters in 26 states and seven countries. Before the group’s impact began to decline with the coming of desegregation, it grew to include a building and loan, a publishing company, a business college, a nursing school and a hospital.

The museum includes such permanent exhibits as:

African-Americans in Arkansas, 1870-1970 – depicts the African-American experience in Arkansas, from Reconstruction to 1970

Brotherhood and the Bottom Line: The Mosaic Templars of America – tells the history of the organization, its glory days and the declining years

Entrepreneurial Spirit – explores how black Arkansans succeeded despite discrimination and segregation to become successful entrepreneurs

A Building for the Community: The History of the Mosaic Templars of America Building – illustrates the illustrious history of the original structure, from its dedication by Booker T. Washington to the disastrous 2005 fire

A City Within a City: Little Rock’s West Ninth Street Business District – tells the story of the happening place to be if you were an African-American in Little Rock during the late 19th and early 20th centuries;

Capturing Greatness: The Art and Life of Isaac Scott Hathaway – portrays the life and works of Hathaway, a sculptor and artist who taught at Branch Normal College in Pine Bluff (now UAPB); the first African-American to design a coin for the U.S. Mint

Arkansas Black Hall of Fame – housed on the third floor, the exhibit honors those who have been selected for their achievements in business, entertainment and sports. Past inductees include poet Maya Angelou, athlete Sidney Moncrief, civil rights attorney Wiley Branton, Sr., and musician Pharaoh Sanders; new members added annually

Temporary exhibits will displayed at the museum on a rotating basis.

Additional details can be obtained from Constance Sarto at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501-683-3593 or Melissa Whitfield with the Department of Arkansas Heritage, 501-324-9611. For more information, go to www.MosaicTemplarsCenter.com/.

Mosaic Templars joins a varied list of attractions in Little Rock that detail African-American history. Be sure and visit the Central High School National Historic Site, along with its new museum; the Little Rock Nine Memorial on the State Capitol grounds; EMOBA, The Museum of Black Arkansans; Philander Smith and Arkansas Baptist Colleges; Taborian Hall, which now houses Arkansas Flag and Banner; plus the Old State House and Historic Arkansas Museum. Additional information on these sites and famous African-Americans, go to www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/.

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Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com

May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"