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This Day in Arkansas History

July 7, 1969

The Council for the Liberation of Blacks (CLOB), established earlier that year in Hot Springs (Garland County), addressed the Hot Springs City Council about discriminatory practices in the city. Although in existence for less than two years, CLOB advocated for downtown businesses to hire more Black workers and protested the exclusion of African American contestants from the Miss Arkansas Pageant, paving the way for the first Black contestant in the pageant the following year.

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Fort Smith National Cemetery

This building houses the offices of the Fort Smith National Cemetery, the oldest of the state’s three national cemeteries. It was originally a post cemetery, with the first internment in 1819. Designated a national cemetery in 1867, it is today the final resting place of more than 13,000 veterans and family members.

 

This building houses the offices of the Fort Smith National Cemetery, the oldest of the state’s three national cemeteries. It was originally a post cemetery, with the first internment in 1819. Designated a national cemetery in 1867, it is today the final resting place of more than 13,000 veterans and family members.

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Older African-American man smiling in suit and bow tie Joseph Walter Jackson Business Leaders Tall obelisk with statue of soldier and plaque with trees in the background World War I Post Civil War Engraved stone monument in flower bed with building behind it Titan II Missile Accident Post Civil War Book cover older white woman with white text on a purple background "Maxine Call Me Madam" Maxine Temple Jones Business Leaders, Criminal Activities "The Truth About the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" newspaper clipping Ku Klux Klan Early Twentieth Century, Parties and Interest Groups Portrait black man in suit and tie with glasses smiling in front of book case James Albert Banks Educators and Administrators Graphic showing different types of arrowheads and artifacts Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540 Time Period Headline "Christmas comes a little early this year" above illustration of parents labeled "Arkansas Voters" handing large present with text "Better Educational Opportunities" to two children labeled "Arkansas School Kids" all four smiling School Consolidation Single-story house with white fence and trees Pine Bluff Commercial Historic District Museums and Historic Sites Car parked in front of single-story building next to brick storefront with awning Dyess Mississippi, Projects Inside abandoned two-story ornate hotel lobby with glass roof Hotel Pines Buildings, Businesses "Philander-Smith Colored Institute Little Rock" illustration campus scene brick building road pedestrians trees Philander Smith University Four-Year: Colleges and Universities White man in black suit and red tie James Luin "Skip" Rutherford III Educators and Administrators, State Figures postcard of multistoried light building with gabled roofs and chimneys "The Baker Hospital Eureka Springs Arkansas" Norman Baker Criminal Activities, Malpractice Brick sign in flower bed icon of water drop over skyscrapers text "Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority One Water One Future Clearwater Complex Administration Building Maintenance Facility" in front of iron fence trees and single story brick building in background Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority People and Organizations Single-story cabin like building with decorative plants and row of flag poles Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo Business Organizations

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Large reptile with broad snout short legs and long tail partially submerged in water sitting on grass shore in wetlands American Alligator Zoology Three-story red brick school building with trees and parked cars Elementary and Secondary Education Topical View of two large planes in air with deployed parachutes from inside third airplane Little Rock Air Force Base Air, Locations Multistory building with tower entrance on street corner Pine Bluff Jefferson Group of African-American men in military uniforms posing in formation on airstrip with airplane and buildings behind them Original Tuskegee Airmen Units and Organizations, World War II to Faubus Era Single-story building with tall windows and double doors "Delta Area Museum" Marked Tree Poinsett River flowing between surrounding areas with tall thin trees and vegetation Little Black River Physical Geography Obesity Public Health Insect on human skin and virus under magnification West Nile Virus Pathology Paula Juels Jones Lawyers, Tennis White woman in green dress with arms crossed LEARNS Act Laws and Court Cases Postcard "We all want the freedom to make decisions that affect our lives" Initiatives and Referenda Laws and Court Cases Two white men in casual clothing leaning on knees smiling posing with group of fifteen individuals of various identities standing and smiling Sibling Rivalry Press Businesses, Organizations and Journals Portrait of white man in suit and tie with prominent eyebrows Ben F. Butler Mississippi Leaders White man sitting on steps of two-story house with covered porch and balcony Butler-Matthews Homestead Buildings, Museums and Historic Sites "Bailey's" ice cream stand on parking lot Butchie’s Drive-In Businesses, Museums and Historic Sites

About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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