is the first step in making positive
changes in ourselves and in our
society.
"RHM is dedicated to
preserving and sharing the history
of the diversity of people in our
community," Barnett went on. "In
response to current events, RHM
will work harder to ensure that
we tell the inclusive history of all
people who live and have lived
in our area and create a space for
open dialogue to discuss our local
and national history together."
Now another year has passed,
and Black History Month has
rolled around again — and
"Reflections of the Black
Experience" is once again on
show, this time with nearly twice
as many artists and in Christian's
own gallery, Into+View, at 300
N. Second St. in Rogers. In the
ensuing months, her artwork has
appeared on "Fixer to Fabulous,"
the HGTV series featuring Dave
and Jenny Marrs of Bentonville,
a chance, says Christian, for "the
entire world to see what's going
on in Arkansas — and to change
perceptions about Arkansas. It
says people who look like me
can be welcome here. And if I
never sold another piece of art,
that would be enough — to have
succeeded in creating those
conversations."
This time, "Reflections of the
Black Experience" features art by
student artists, older artists, poets,
Black artists and white artists —
among them Jim Johnson, Denise
Sagan, Jaquita Ball, Leona Hunter
Wade and Joelle Storet. Christian
explains: "If you saw what
happened to George Floyd or
Ahmaud Arbery, if you remember
the integration of the Little Rock
schools or know about the Elaine
Race Riot of 1919 or the 1921 Tulsa
race massacre, you ARE part of
the Black experience.
"It's important to have these
conversations so we don't repeat
those mistakes," says Christian.
"Sometimes the powers that be
want to gloss over them; yes, it
happened in the past, but the
same attitudes are still prevalent
today and we have to talk about
them. And art is a good way to
have those conversations. That's
what this exhibit is about. It seems
so simple: Let's have art, let's have
conversation, let's realize we're all
part of the black experience."
We work for those who
feed the world.
Representing nearly 200,000
Arkansas families, Farm Bureau
state's largest membership organization.
arfb.com
facebook.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
twitter.com/arfb
youtube.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
tastearkansas.com
We work for those
feed the world.
Representing
Arkansas
state's largest
®
We work for those who
feed the world.
Representing nearly 200,000
Arkansas families, Farm Bureau is the
state's largest membership organization.
arfb.com
facebook.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
twitter.com/arfb
youtube.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
tastearkansas.com
®
We work for those who
feed the world.
Representing nearly 200,000
Arkansas families, Farm Bureau is the
state's largest membership organization.
arfb.com
facebook.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
twitter.com/arfb
youtube.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
tastearkansas.com
We work for
feed the world.
®
We work for those who
feed the world.
Representing nearly 200,000
Arkansas families, Farm Bureau is the
state's largest membership organization.
arfb.com
facebook.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
twitter.com/arfb
youtube.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
tastearkansas.com
We work
feed the
®
We work for those who
feed the world.
Representing nearly 200,000
Arkansas families, Farm Bureau is the
state's largest membership organization.
arfb.com
facebook.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
twitter.com/arfb
youtube.com/ArkansasFarmBureau
tastearkansas.com
We work for
those who
feed the world.
Representing nearly 200,000 Arkansas
families, Farm Bureau is the state's largest
membership organization.
4 WHAT'S UP!
FEBRUARY 6-12, 2022
FYI
Black History
Month Events
Fayetteville Public Library — Black
Voices: Writing on the Black Expe-
rience, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Feb. 9; Black
American Genealogy, 2 p.m. Feb.
12 via Zoom. Register at faylib.org.
Washington County Historical
Society — A video, including a
proclamation read by WCHS Pres-
ident Lee Anne Wiederkehr, an a
cappella solo sung by Ella Donnell
Lambey and an interview with
Michael Pierce about the Nelson
Hackett Project, is available for
viewing on YouTube at tinyurl.
com/2p993app and also at the
Washington County Historical
Society's Facebook page.
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith
— Keynote Speech: Dr. Geor-
gia Hale, 6 p.m. Feb. 8, register
at uafs-edu.zoom.us/meeting/
register/tJwvd-murzwpHNSnmh-
G4N0uIZvQced5AaBmW; Men of
Excellence: Barbershop Talk, 5
p.m. Feb. 16, Math Science Room
100; Sherry Toliver, Fort Smith
historian, on "My Home Town: A
Tale of Two Cities," 6 p.m. Feb. 22,
Campus Center Reynolds Room.
Black Action Collective — Racial
Healing Community Discussion,
7 p.m. Feb. 9, lfbj.eventbrite.com;
Building Racial Equity Workshop,
Feb. 17, buildingracialequity.
eventbrite.com; Networking
Health Fair, 1-5 p.m. Feb. 19,
bacnwa.org/registration; Virtual
Town Hall, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21, black-
mendeserve.eventbrite.com; Lead-
ing with Excellence Awards Gala,
Feb. 26, Fayetteville Town Center.
Art Ventures NWA — "Frame of
Mind: Critical Black Theory"
opening reception and First
Thursday event featuring work by
Candace Dolls, Charles Krampah,
Delita Martin, DeShun Peoples,
Donavon Brutus, Eric Andre, Joelle
Storet, Markeith Woods, Morgan
Game, Najee Dorsey, Oluwatobi
Adewumi, Tay Butler, Vincent
Frimpong and Sharon Killian,
5-8:30 p.m. Feb. 6. Pieces from this
exhibit will also be on display at
TheatreSquared to pair with the
run of "The Mountaintop" until
Feb. 15.
Springdale Public Library — Virtual
Natural Care Night with Mont-
inique Davis, 6 p.m. Feb. 10,
register at springdalelibrary.org
or call 750-8180; Crusade Jazz
Concert, Springdale Public Library,
2 p.m. Feb 19; Virtual Black History
Month Book Discussion on "Just
As I Am" by Cicely Tyson and
Michelle Burford, 6 p.m. Feb. 22.
Register at springdalelibrary.org.
Reflections
Continued From Page 3
COVER STORY
