Beyond Desegregation: Black Education Activism in Jonesboro

Legacies & Lunch October 2025

Learn about Black educational activism after desegregation in Jonesboro, Arkansas, from historian and 2025 Stricklin Fellow Heather McNamee.

When the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision declared segregated schools unconstitutional, it signaled a major civil rights victory. But in many communities, equality in education remained elusive.  
 
Historian Heather McNamee will explore how Black students, parents, and community members fought for educational equity in Jonesboro in the decades after legal desegregation. Drawing from case studies such as the 1968 protest of the playing of “Dixie” at school events, the fight for equal access to extracurriculars in the 1970s, and the formation of R.E.S.P.E.C.T. in the 1990s, this presentation examines how local Black activists confronted stereotypes and advocated for inclusive curriculum and diverse hiring practices. 
 
This history raises essential questions: How did desegregation usher in a new era of civil rights organizing? What strategies did activists use to combat continued inequality? Why do these struggles still matter today? 
 
Heather McNamee was born and raised in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She is a historian specializing in twentieth-century U.S. history. She earned her PhD from the University of Memphis in 2022 and is an assistant professor of history at Washington State University. Her research focuses on civil rights activism in Arkansas, particularly educational movements in the post-desegregation era. McNamee is also the Butler Center’s 2025 David Stricklin Fellow.  

Legacies & Lunch is a hybrid program offering participants the opportunity to attend either in person or virtually via Zoom. To participate in person, join us at - NEW LOCATION - UA Little Rock Downtown (333 President Clinton Ave). Parking is available in the surface lot or the CALS Parking Deck which you can access from Rock Street. Parking will be validated. Bring your lunch; we will provide drinks and cookies. To participate virtually, register for the webinar using the button above. This program will be live-streamed to YouTube and the recording will be available immediately following the event.

Legacies & Lunch is a free monthly program of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies about Arkansas-related topics.

Past Legacies & Lunch Events