The Best Ways to Celebrate Black History Month in Little Rock in 2024

Little Rock is a "Top 10" destination on the tour and is home to all six of the tour stops in Arkansas. Little Rock's Black heritage doesn't stop there, however. Here are some of our favorite places to commemorate Black History Month in Little Rock from both on and off the trail.

Visit Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

One of Little Rock's most iconic sites, this school was made famous in 1957 when nine Black students, later dubbed the Little Rock Nine, became the first to desegregate the school. With the help of televised news, the story of these nine students garnered national and international attention. Little Rock came to symbolize the federal government's commitment to eliminating separate education systems for Black and white children.

The National Historic Site Visitor Center opened across the street from the school in September 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of the school's desegregation and is one of the most-visited Little Rock landmarks. It offers insight into the crisis through interactive exhibits commemorating the events and tells the personal stories of the Little Rock Nine. The high school is still operating today and is the only functioning high school located within a National Historic Site.

See “Testament: The Little Rock Nine Monument” at the State Capitol

"Testament: The Little Rock Nine Monument" stands as a lasting tribute to the Little Rock Nine for their strength and perseverance in the name of equality. In bronze relief, the students stand forever on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol, gazing up at the office of the governor — the very seat of power that fueled the conflict and forged their remarkable futures.

The sculpture was the vision of John Deering, the chief editorial cartoonist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He sculpted the statues along with his wife, Kathy Deering, and studio partner, Steve Scallion. The life-size figures themselves bear witness to the struggles of 1957 and serve as a statement of the students' perseverance. Deering intended for observers to become virtual witnesses, imagining themselves amid the blur of protestors, reporters, and troops who surrounded the Little Rock Nine. When the sculpture was unveiled in 2005, the U.S. Postal Service also unveiled a commemorative stamp depicting the Central High crisis in its series of landmark civil rights events.

Tour the Daisy L. Gatson Bates House National Historic Place

Daisy Bates, president of the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP, served as a liaison between the local school board and the Little Rock Nine, speaking on behalf of the students. She was also responsible for arranging a multiracial group of ministers to escort the nine students to school on the morning of September 4, 1957. After the clash that day, Bates's house functioned as a meeting place and organizational post for the students and their parents. They met here on the morning of September 23: the new date set for the school's desegregation.

The home was vandalized during several hate crimes. Shots were fired through the home's windows, and crosses were burned in the yard on two occasions. After the Little Rock School Board closed its high schools in 1958-1959 to avoid desegregation, the Bateses' home was the target of an incendiary bomb.

Today, the home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Tours are available but must be scheduled in advance.

Visit Hearne Fine Art and Pyramid Art, Books & Custom Framing

In 1988, Archie and Garbo Hearne combined their passion for African American culture and history with their entrepreneurial spirit to open Pyramid Gallery. In January 1989, Pyramid Gallery relocated from a 600-square-foot storefront to a much larger venue in the Madison Guaranty Bank Building on Little Rock's Main Street. Over the next eight years, Pyramid Gallery and Books served as a community space, hosting book signings, art exhibitions and demonstrations, and other cultural and community enrichment programs.

In 1997, nine years after establishing Pyramid Gallery and Books as the premier place for art by Americans of African descent in Arkansas, Archie and Garbo had the unique opportunity to design a completely new space within the Museum Center in the River Market District. In 2010, Hearne Family Practice and Hearne Fine Art opened its doors at 1001 Wright Avenue in the historic Dunbar neighborhood.

The gallery has overcome market stagnation and numerous adversities to solidify itself as a pillar within its artistic community and the art world at large. Its continually changing exhibits showcase works of art by artists from across the nation and is a go-to destination for local art lovers. While you're there, explore the bookshelves for insightful titles that delve deep into race, class, and social justice issues.

Visit Mosaic Templars Cultural Center

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) was founded as the Mosaic Templars of America Center for African American Culture and Business Enterprises in 2001. It was created as a museum to honor the Mosaic Templars of America's story and all of Arkansas's African American history.

The museum is dedicated to telling the story of the African American Experience in Arkansas. The Center's name is taken from the Mosaic Templars of America, a Black fraternal organization founded in Little Rock in 1883 whose headquarters sat on the prominent West Ninth and Broadway location. Like many businesses throughout the United States, the Mosaic Templars of America organization was forced out of business during the Great Depression.

The MTCC now preserves, interprets, and celebrates Black culture from around the state through exhibits highlighting social organizations, entrepreneurs, and integration activists.

Visit the Dreamland Ballroom and Taborian Hall Museum

Dreamland Ballroom is the third floor of The Taborian Hall, 800 W 9th St, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Built in 1916, this building was the cultural and economic hub of Little Rock’s vibrant African-American community and is the last remaining original building on the 9th Street “Line.” Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hall served as headquarters for the Arkansas Chapter of the National Knights and Daughters of the Tabor. The third-floor Dreamland Ballroom hosted many famous entertainers including Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie.

The Dreamland Ballroom is hosting Dancing into Dreamland on February 17, 2024. This is an annual fundraiser hosted by the Friends of Dreamland, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the historic ballroom to its former glory.

Walk the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail

If you're in downtown Little Rock, check out the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail. It was created to acknowledge the sacrifices and achievements made by those who fought for racial and ethnic justice in Arkansas. The trail begins on the sidewalk outside the Old State House Museum at 300 W. Markham St. Markers extend down West Markham Street and President Clinton Avenue and will eventually lead to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. In 2016, the Trail won a Diamond Award from the Arkansas Historical Association for “honoring and increasing public awareness of the freedom struggle in Arkansas."

No matter where your journey of discovering Little Rock's history takes you, be sure to follow your path with the Arkansas Civil Rights History Mobile Tour app for your phone. It's available for both Apple and Android and is the perfect guide for your journey across town and through the decades.

Grab a Bite to Eat

Exploring Little Rock's cultural and historic sites can make a person hungry, and there's no better way to rest and refuel than by visiting some of Little Rock's Black-owned restaurants. Sim's Bar-B-Que is the city's oldest continually operating Black-owned restaurant. In 1937, Allen and Amelia Sims opened up a restaurant and served bar-b-que with what became known as the world-famous Sim's Bar-B-Que Sauce: a unique blend of herbs, spices, and a few other secret ingredients.

K. Hall & Sons Produce also boasts a delectable array of tasty meals and fresh produce, all steeped in rich family history. Savor classic Southern favorites like crispy fried chicken and flavorful catfish or indulge in their delightful Seafood Saturday and occasional Soul food Sunday offerings.

You can see a full list of Black-owned restaurants here.