#arkansas history

[sweaterkittensahoy]

While keeping to my general "Fuck historical accuracy" rule for this rosielemmons, I am actually from Arkansas and knew the state paper of record (The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) was previously two different papers, so I wanted to know which one was more likely to be read by Ken Lemmons.

Which led to this wikipedia line:

The Gazette and the Democrat exchanged words that soon escalated into an exchange of gunfire between the owner of the Democrat and a part-owner of the Gazette.

Because of fucking course it did. Rednecks are gonna redneck.

[liyazaki]

via the Arkansas Advocate

it’s official: in Arkansas, library staff may now be charged with a Class D felony for providing books to their communities that are deemed “obscene”.

in Florida, school librarians and teachers can be criminally charged for checking out books to kids that dare to touch on LGBTQ topics & gender identity, thanks to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

book censorship in the US is at such an all-time high, book sanctuaries are popping up all over the country.

library staff aren’t physically safe, either. just over the past couple months, threats against libraries and their staff resulted in the temporary closure of “five public library systems due to bomb and shooting threats," ALA. active shooter trainings have become the new norm for me.

the censorship myself and my colleagues have been watching unfold over the last several years has felt like watching a slow-motion car crash.

but this bill? this feels like a death knell for my profession.

via Teen Vogue

when I was a confused queer kid growing up in an ultra-religious household, the library was my refuge. when I asked hard questions, librarians listened and gave me the tools I needed to answer them. in many ways, libraries saved my life. it's why I became a librarian.

I can't believe I'm living in times where future generations of kids may not have access to the same refuge I did, but it's happening.

if you live in the US and you care about protecting open, equitable access to information, please check out the American Library Association for anti-censorship resources in your state, info on contacting your representatives, etc.

you can also report censorship you see in your community and ALA will investigate (1-800-545-2433, ext. 4266; oif@ala.org).

I know this isn't my usual content, but libraries are standing on the edge of a horrifying precipice- one we can't escape on our own.

libraries are free society's canary in the coal mine, and all the alarms are singing. when libraries fall, nations usually aren't far behind.

this matters- and we need help.

[crainbuickgmcspringdale]

Nestled deep within the Ozarks, Springdale AR is surrounded by dramatic scenery. It’s also one of the state’s economic and cultural hubs with a long history that goes back to the early 1800s. If you’re looking to experience the best that the city has to offer, you’ll find that there’s a whole lot to do and see. Click on our blog to check out a few tourist attractions that you’ll definitely want to consider adding to your itinerary!

[crainhyundaibentonville]

From pioneering spirit to corporate triumph and from buried treasure to battles, Bentonville, AR is home to many legends. Check out our blog to learn about these historical attractions to find out more about the area’s exciting past.

[whenweallvote]

Today we remember the courage of the Little Rock Nine. ✊🏽

On this day in 1957, nine Black students became symbols of the fight to desegregate U.S. public schools after an angry mob prevented them from entering Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. The Little Rock Nine faced threats, violence, and unimaginable adversity, yet they stood firm in the pursuit of equality.  

We are inspired by their bravery and strength, and honor them today: Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo.

[yesterdaysprint]

Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Kansas, December 4, 1906

[yeoldenews]

(source: The Brinkley Argus, December 13, 1918.)

[mimi-0007]

[20th-century-railroading]

SP 9779, Pine Bluff, AR.

A view at the Pine Bluff service track on a Locomotive Management field trip. Amtrak F40's were leased by Union Pacific RR for a short time but their small fuel tanks was a PITA as they would barely make Chicago-PBluff before running dry. This is an interesting lashup with the GP60 - F40PH - Dash9.

5-12-1998

[dilsdoes]

i was gonna make a dumb post complaining aboht american football being called football but i looked it up and its fucking called that because the college football association changed the rules from football to rugby and then just kept calling it football????? what the fuck??

[commiepinkofag]

‘Get off our backs and let us live’

Miss Major is still fighting for trans rights after 50 years of resistance

her latest project – a sanctuary for trans and gender-nonconforming people that she built on the property where she lives in the southern conservative state. She first called it House of GG, after her initials, but recently renamed it Tilifi, which stands for Telling It Like It Fuckin’ Is, something Miss Major is exceptionally good at doing. Next door to her house, connected by a path she painted bright yellow, is the Oasis, a guest home where she invites trans leaders and loved ones to stay, with a singular goal: to rest and relax. “I’ve gotta make joy here, because it doesn’t exist in the normal world,” says Miss Major … Visibility, she says, means the deaths of her people are now counted, but it doesn’t mean their lives are being saved and protected: “We got gay marriage, yay! But that doesn’t affect transgender people. The girls are being murdered more and more each year.” She rolls her eyes at the order of the LGBTQ+ acronym: “The T should be first. We’re integral.” … “They want us to live in the 1950s. No. Get off our fucking backs and let us live. They try to push us back – well, that means we gotta put the gloves on and fight again,” she says. “We have to get rid of the people in charge – the 70- and 80-year-olds who hold us down, who want to try to suppress us. You get rid of them, and we can build up, and move forward. People have to organize and get it together, and we also must vote.” She adds: “I know the world I would like to live in. It’s in my head, but I try my best to live it now.”

by Sam Levin/The Guardian, June 22, 2023 [📷 Miss Major in Little Rock. Whitten Sabbatini]

[rebelyells]

We remember our Ancestors who fought against their cultural extinction. The same applies today. God Bless the Southland! Love this Texas Monument! Keep History Alive. 2,257 Battles were fought to defend their homes.

[desertdaisyvisuals]

WW1 and WW2 Aviation American History Documentary Film.

Directed by Akeylah Johnson and Dennis Boal.

Filmed on location in Eureka Springs, Northwest Arkansas.

Professional video services by @desertdaisyvisuals and The Lab Fx.

[yearningforunity]

African-American students arriving at Van Buren High School during the integration of that city’s schools. 1957

Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

[francepittoresque]

13 mars 1682 : Cavelier de La Salle prend possession de la Louisiane René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle s’embarqua sur le Mississipi le 13 février 1682, accompagné de 22 Français et d’une trentaine d’autochtones, parvenant au point où les explorateurs Jolliet et Marquette, découvreurs des sources du Mississipi, s’étaient arrêtés en 1673 ➽ http://bit.ly/Louisiane-France

[aryburn-trains]

KCS Holiday Express is seen at Mena, Arkansas on 10 December, 2009. (A. J. Pfieffer Jr.) by Kenneth G Williamson