Join co-editors \;Wally G. Vaughn and Carolyn Ann Butler Cooley \;in conversation with \;Arkansas De mocrat-Gazette \;Sunday \;Style \;editor Helaine Williams \;for an illuminating conversation \;about their book \;Blackville\, Arkansas \, \;Fashioned \;by a Former Slave\, a powerful collectio n of first-person narratives that uncovers the extraordinary history of Bl ackville&mdash\;an all-Black\, self-sufficient farming community in \; northeastern \;Arkansas founded by formerly enslaved visionary Pickens William Black Sr. Once a thriving hub complete with a school\, mercantile store\, cotton gin\, farming fleet\, and even its own airplanes\, Blackvi lle flourished for decades under the stewardship of the Black family. This volume preserves the memories of the last generation to \;grow up&nbs p\;in or around this remarkable settlement\, offering a look into the dail y lives\, triumphs\, and legacy of Blackville\, Arkansas. \;
\n<
em>We are excited to offer \;a lunch including \;a sandwic
h\, chips\, a cookie\, and a drink to in-person attendees in 2026\, courte
sy of the CALS Foundation. Meals are limited and will be offered on a firs
t-come first-served basis. \;We cannot accommodate dietary restriction
s or allergies\, and registration does not guarantee lunch will be availab
le. Registration is not required to attend in person\, but is helpful for
planning purposes.
\;
Wally G. Vaughn\, a&nbs
p\;native of \;Sumter\, South Carolina\, is a retired U.S. Air Force&n
bsp\;chaplain\, concluding his service in 2011 with the rank of \;colo
nel. He is a graduate of Virginia Union University (B.A.\, History Educati
on\; M.Div.)\, Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.M.)\, and United Theolog
ical Seminary (D.Min.). A \;life member \;of Alpha Phi Alpha Frate
rnity\, Inc.\, Vaughn is also the author of several notable historical wor
ks\, including \;The Invisible Leader in Montgomery 1955&ndash\;1956&n
bsp\;and \;The Selma Campaign\, 1963&ndash\;1965. \;
\;<
br />Born in \;Truxno\, Louisiana\, \;Carolyn Ann Butler Cooley&nb
sp\;grew up on a working farm as the youngest of nine children. She pursue
d her education at Louisiana Tech University\, Shorter College\, Arkansas
Baptist College\, and ultimately Philander Smith College. A longtime resid
ent of Arkansas\, she is the widow of Dr. James F. Cooley\, a key figure i
n \;the \;civil rights \;movement in Forrest City during the 1
960s. \;
\;
Helaine Williams \;began her career pat
h \;early: She began writing in the third grade\, creating \;popul
ar \;stories about a fictitious club that starred her favorite classma
tes and herself. \;In May 1981\, \;she \;became a city desk ne
ws assistant at \;what was then the \;Arkansas Democrat.&
nbsp\;She \;then \;became a consumer affairs reporter\, assuming a
uthorship of the &ldquo\;Action and Answers&rdquo\; \;column\, and&nbs
p\;later \;started \;over again in the \;Democrat&rsq
uo\;s Style department as bridal editor. In 1989\, she took over authorshi
p of \;the \;long-running column &ldquo\;Let&rsquo\;s Talk&rdquo\;
\;and became a \;features \;reporter for the revamped \;L
ifeStyle \;section. \;In the years since\, she has written for&nbs
p\;a \;number of \;special sections of what is now the \;Arkan
sas Democrat-Gazette. \;Since 2021\, \;Williams \;has served a
s the newspaper&rsquo\;s Sunday Style editor. \;Williams has received
awards from \;the Arkansas Press Association\; the Society of Professi
onal Journalists\, Arkansas Chapter\; the National Association of Black Jo
urnalists\; the National Federation of Press Women\; \;and her alma ma
ter\, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is a 2021 Arkansas Wr
iters Hall of Fame inductee.
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 -
This program will be live-streamed to YouTube and the recording will be available immediately following the event.
\nLegacies &\; Lunch is a free monthly program of CALS Butler Cente r for Arkansas Studies about Arkansas-related topics.
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