FAYETTEVILLE -- Opponents to racial progress are organized and acting strategically, more so than advocates for justice, author Nikole Hannah-Jones told a crowd of 700 at an awards celebration of the Northwest Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Council.
"They don't want you to teach Black history in the state of Central High," she said.
"What are you going to do for your state and your country?" she said. "What are you going to do when you leave here?"
"I don't want to hold hands right now. I want to fight. I hope you leave here wanting to fight too."
Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering racial injustice for The New York Times magazine, spoke at the Fayetteville Public Library at the council's invitation. The 5 p.m. event Saturday made up part of the council's 28th Annual Recommitment Celebration over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
The civil-rights leader's birthday is a federal and state holiday and will be observed Monday. Winter weather led to rescheduling of several of the council's planned weekend events, but Saturday's celebration took place as scheduled.
"We wanted to bring someone to challenge our way of thinking, to make us better stewards of Dr. King's legacy," said Lindsey Leverett-Higgins, council president. She thanked the sponsors and the community for supporting the event and making it possible.
Attendee Alex Hunter of Rogers moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2005, when the Black population of the region was much smaller, he said. He came Saturday in part to enjoy an event in which it was visible how much the community has grown and to celebrate the council's award winners, he said.
The council awarded scholarships to 35 graduating high school students Saturday. The scholarships awarded totaled $35,000. Recipients of the council's "Salute to Greatness" awards are listed on the council's website.
Northwest Arkansas was 95% white as recently as the 1990 U.S. census. The region grows more diverse each year, census records show, as the population also increases.
Census records show a total minority-group population of more than 160,000 now, mostly Hispanic, compared with a total population of all of Northwest Arkansas of 239,464 in 1990. Black population in the region was about 2,000 in 1990 and about 14,000 in 2021, census records show.
Chancellor Charles F. Robinson of the University of Arkansas said what he admired most about King was his perseverance, reminding the audience the civil rights movement of the 1960s was not a harmonious, unified drive. He challenged the audience to support students who have to hold jobs to afford college, unlike other students who can concentrate on their studies because they have more resources available.
The council's freedom march originally scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday will take place online instead through a link at the council's website. The noon Monday vigil originally planned was also moved online. The guest speaker Monday is LaTosha Brown, co-founder of voting rights group Black Voters Matter. Attendees are asked to register at the council's website. The annual Dreamkeepers breakfast planned for 8 a.m. Monday will also be held online through a link in the website.
The choir from the James Missionary Baptist Church sing Saturday Jan. 13, 2024 during a MLK Recommitment Celebration at Fayetteville Public Library. The Northwest Arkansas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Council hosted the event. Nikole Hannah-Jones was the guest speaker and is the founder of the 1619 Project and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler)On the web
Northwest Arkansas MLK Council: https://www.nwamlk.org/
The council's "Salute to Greatness" award winners: https://www.nwamlk.org/salute-greatness-awards