What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1356241
ELSEWHERE IN ARKANSAS 10 WHAT'S UP! MARCH 28-APRIL 3, 2021 'Rightfully Hers' Women leave mark on new Arkansas history map JACK SCHNEDLER Special to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette W omen have almost always played a supporting role, or none at all, in the telling of Arkansas history. A project unveiled this month aims to move them closer to center stage. Created by the Arkansas Women's History Institute, "Rightfully Hers" maps out "A Trail of Women's Activism in Arkansas." It pinpoints 31 locations intended "to cover every region of the state as well as focus on the stories of underrepresented groups." The most widely known figure on the "Rightfully Hers" map is author and activist Maya Angelou. There are other familiar names, but a majority of the honored women and their organizations are likely unknown to most Arkansans. "The impact and importance of women has always been attached to the men in their lives or to the community," says Amanda Whitley, president of the Arkansas Women's History Institute. "But women have been influential in just about every decision made in our history. It just takes a little more time to find those stories and memories than it does for the 'white man's narrative.'" Founded in 1983, the nonprofit institute has hosted workshops, lectures and symposiums over the years. The "Rightfully Hers" debut is timed to mesh with Women's History Month, in lieu of the in-person event that normally marks the occasion. "We sought to include women activists from different regions of the state," explains Rachel Silva Patton, chairwoman of the institute's programming and outreach committee, "There is a particular emphasis on women of color and other underrepresented communities, as well as including some lesser known women and events." A surprising absentee from the "Rightfully Hers" map is Daisy Gaston Bates, famed for her courageous mentoring of the Little Rock Nine students who desegregated Central High School in 1957. Bates is likely to be added to the map at some point, according to Whitley. Here is a sampling of the current listings, with introductory notes from the project's website: arkansaswomen. org/rightfully-hers.html. The park on Lake June in Stamps has been renamed for author and activist Maya Angelou. (Special to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/ Marcia Schnedler) Maya Angelou is the central figure in a downtown mural in Stamps, where she grew up. (Special to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Marcia Schnedler) FYI 'Rightfully Hers' Find the new "Rightfully Hers" Arkansas women's history map at arkansaswomen.org/ rightfully-hers.html.