98-618: The Oakland–Fraternal Cemetery is a historic cemetery on Barber Street in Little Rock, Arkansas . It actually consists of six originally separate cemeteries, and lies adjacent to the Little Rock National Cemetery , of which it was once a part. Portions of the cemetery are dedicated to Confederate war dead, and its grounds include two separate Jewish cemeteries, and the Fraternal Cemetery. The Fraternal side, established by
196-463: A 40% increase among 18- to 24-year-olds. From 1988 to 1992, murder arrests of youths under 18 increased by 256%. By the end of 1992, Little Rock reached a record of 61 homicides, but in 1993 surpassed it with 76. It was one of the highest per-capita homicide rates in the country, placing Little Rock fifth in Money Magazine's 1994 list of most dangerous cities. In July 2017, a shootout occurred at
294-427: A household in the city was $ 37,572, and the median income for a family was $ 47,446. Males had a median income of $ 35,689 versus $ 26,802 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 23,209 . 14.3% of the population is below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The 2020 U.S. Census population estimate for
392-446: A major U.S. based passenger air carrier. Since the late 20th century, lower Delta agriculture has increasingly been dominated by families and nonresident corporate entities that hold large landholdings. Their operations are heavily mechanized with low labor costs. Such farm entities are capital-intensive, where hundreds and thousands of acres are used to produce market-driven crops such as cotton, sugar, rice, and soybeans. Remnants of
490-468: A nation. Gussow (2010) examines the conflict between blues musicians and Black ministers in the region between 1920 and 1942. The ministers condemned blues music as "devil's music". In response, some blues musicians satirized preachers in their music, as for example in the song, "He Calls That Religion", by the blues group Mississippi Sheiks . The lyrics accused Black ministers of engaging in and fomenting sinful behavior. The Black residents were poor, and
588-702: A part of the music of the Mississippi Delta Blues. Mexican immigrants to the Mississippi Delta greatly influenced the cuisine of the Mississippi Delta, leading to the development of one of the Deltas most famous culinary inventions, the Delta-style tamale , also known as the hot tamale . For more than two centuries, agriculture has been the mainstay of the Delta economy. Sugar cane and rice were introduced to
686-761: A rock formation along the river, named the "Little Rock" by the French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe in 1722. The capital of the Arkansas Territory was moved to Little Rock from Arkansas Post in 1821. Little Rock is a cultural, economic, government, and transportation center within Arkansas and the American South . Several cultural institutions are in Little Rock, such as the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts ,
784-576: A total area of 116.8 square miles (303 km ), of which 116.2 square miles (301 km ) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km ) (0.52%) is water. Little Rock is on the south bank of the Arkansas River in Central Arkansas. Fourche Creek and Rock Creek run through the city, and flow into the river. The western part of the city is in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains . Northwest of
882-413: Is Frank Scott Jr. , a former assistant bank executive, pastor and state highway commissioner. The city manager is Bruce T. Moore, the longest-serving city manager in Little Rock history. The city employs over 2,500 people in 14 different departments, including the police department, the fire department, parks and recreation, and the zoo. Most Pulaski County government offices are in Little Rock, including
980-585: Is Pinnacle Mountain State Park , a 2,000 acres (810 ha) park surrounding Pinnacle Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains . The Arkansas Arboretum at the park features flora and tree plantings correspond to Arkansas's six geographical regions. The Arkansas River Trail runs 17 miles (27 km) along both sides of the Arkansas River through a portion of Little Rock, including over the Big Dam Bridge ,
1078-677: Is a Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock associated with the American Baptist Association . The school began as Missionary Baptist College in Sheridan in Grant County . Mississippi Delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta , or simply the Delta , is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana ) that lies between
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#17330924599561176-696: Is also home to the Little Rock Trojans , the athletic program of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock . The majority of the school's athletic teams are housed in the Jack Stephens Center , which opened in 2005. As of 2022, the Trojans play in the Ohio Valley Conference . Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium hosts at least one University of Arkansas Razorback football game each year. The stadium
1274-470: Is an inter-modal river port with a large industrial business complex. It is designated as Foreign Trade Zone 14. International corporations such as Danish manufacturer LM Glasfiber have established new facilities adjacent to the port. Along with Louisville and Memphis, Little Rock has a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis . Cultural sites in Little Rock include: Founded in 1976,
1372-510: Is common to fried catfish plates in the Delta. Chow Mein arrived to the Delta as it did in many different parts of the United States, with Chinese immigrants arriving around the turn of the century. Hoover Sauce is a twist on traditional Cantonese duck sauce introduced by the Hoover family in the mid-20th century. The sauce is usually served with meat such as locally hunted duck or steak. It
1470-466: Is eventually what stuck. The territorial capitol had been located at Arkansas Post in Southeast Arkansas since 1819, but the site had proven unsuitable as a settlement due to frequent flooding of the Arkansas River . Over the years, the "little rock" was known as a waypoint along the river, but remained unsettled. A land speculator from St. Louis, Missouri who had acquired many acres around
1568-473: Is home to two universities that are part of the University of Arkansas System : the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences . UAMS consists of six colleges, seven institutes, several research centers, and the UAMS Medical Center . A pair of smaller, historically black colleges, Arkansas Baptist College and Philander Smith College , affiliated with
1666-536: Is known for being in the middle of a golf course. Each fall, the city closes the golf course on Razorback football weekends to allow the estimated 80,000 people who attend take part in tailgating activities. War Memorial also hosts the Arkansas High School football state championships, and starting in the fall of 2006 hosts one game apiece for the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff . Arkansas State University also plays at
1764-447: Is related in part to economics, as few African American parents in the poor region can pay to send their children to private schools. Suzanne Eckes of The Journal of Negro Education wrote, "Although de facto segregation in schools exists throughout the country, the de facto segregation that exists in the Mississippi Delta region is somewhat unique." During the years of segregation, public school systems did not know how to classify
1862-535: Is the headquarters of Dillard's , Windstream Communications , Stephens Inc. , University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , Heifer International , Winrock International , the Clinton Foundation , and the Rose Law Firm . Archeological artifacts provide evidence of Native Americans inhabiting Central Arkansas for thousands of years before Europeans colonists arrived. The early inhabitants may have been
1960-437: Is unique to the Delta. Soul Food broadly is found sold and cooked throughout the Delta. The region's large African American population and historical roots make this cuisine of the Delta's truly endemic food traditions. Many dishes such as fried okra , mashed potatoes , black-eyed peas , fried chicken , cornbread , and others are associated with soul food in the Delta. The Mississippi Department of Corrections operates
2058-422: The 2020 United States Census , there were 202,591 people, 80,063 households, and 45,577 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 census, there were 193,524 people, 82,018 households, and 47,799 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,576.0 inhabitants per square mile (608.5/km ). There were 91,288 housing units at an average density of 769.1 per square mile (297.0/km ). The racial makeup of
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#17330924599562156-720: The Arkansas Repertory Theatre is the state's largest nonprofit professional theatre company. A member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT D), The Rep has produced more than 300 productions, including 40 world premieres, in its building in downtown Little Rock. Producing Artistic Director John Miller-Stephany leads a resident staff of designers, technicians and administrators in eight to ten productions for an annual audience in excess of 70,000 for MainStage productions, educational programming and touring. The Rep produces works from contemporary comedies and dramas to world premiers and
2254-622: The Arkansas Repertory Theatre , the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra , and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center , in addition to hiking, boating, and other outdoor recreational opportunities. Little Rock's history is available through history museums, historic districts or neighborhoods of Little Rock like the Quapaw Quarter , and historic sites such as Little Rock Central High School and West Ninth Street . The city
2352-758: The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now , Clinton Foundation , Lions World Services for the Blind, Clinton Presidential Center , Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, FamilyLife , Audubon Arkansas, and The Nature Conservancy . Little Rock is also home to the American Taekwondo Association and Arkansas Hospital Association. Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield , Baptist Health Medical Center, Entergy , Dassault Falcon Jet , Siemens , AT&T Mobility , Kroger , Euronet Worldwide , L'Oréal , Timex , and UAMS are employers throughout Little Rock. One of
2450-540: The Civil Rights Movement and gaining passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 . The Delta is strongly associated as the place where several genres of popular music originated, including Delta blues and rock and roll . The mostly Black sharecroppers and tenant farmers had lives marked by poverty and hardship but they expressed their struggles in music that became the beat, rhythm and songs of cities and
2548-494: The Folsom people and Mississippian culture peoples who built earthwork mounds recorded in 1541 by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto . Historically attested tribes of the area are the Caddo , Quapaw , Osage , Choctaw , and Cherokee . Little Rock was named for a stone outcropping on the bank of the Arkansas River used by early travelers as a landmark, which marked the transition from
2646-524: The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows , was a burying ground for African Americans. The combined cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, continues in active use. Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock ( Quapaw : I’i-zhinka , lit. ' Little rock ' ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas . The city's population
2744-515: The Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area was 748,031. The MSA covers the following counties: Pulaski , Faulkner , Grant , Lonoke , Perry , and Saline . The largest cities are Little Rock, North Little Rock , Conway , Jacksonville , Benton , Sherwood , Cabot , Maumelle , and Bryant . In the late 1980s, Little Rock experienced a 51% increase in murder arrests of children under 17, and
2842-555: The Mississippi and Yazoo rivers. The region has been called "The Most Southern Place on Earth" ("Southern" in the sense of "characteristic of its region, the American South "), because of its unique racial, cultural, and economic history. The Delta is 200 miles (320 km) long and 87 miles (140 km) across at its widest point, encompassing about 4,415,000 acres (17,870 km ), or, almost 7,000 square miles of alluvial floodplain . Originally covered in hardwood forest across
2940-542: The Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman, MSP) in unincorporated Sunflower County , within the Mississippi Delta. John Buntin of Governing magazine said that MSP "has long cast its shadow over the Mississippi Delta, including my hometown of Greenville, Mississippi ". As of 2005, the majority of students in public schools in the Mississippi Delta are Black, and the majority of private school students are White. This de facto racial segregation
3038-818: The National Premier Soccer League played their inaugural seasons in 2016 and 2017 for the men's and women's teams respectively. Home games are played at War Memorial Stadium . Little Rock was also home to the Arkansas Twisters (later Arkansas Diamonds ) of Arena Football 2 and Indoor Football League and the Arkansas RimRockers of the American Basketball Association and NBA Development League . Both of these teams played at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. The city
Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-568: The coastwise slave trade . By this time, slavery had long been established as a racial caste. African Americans for generations worked the commodity plantations, which they made extremely profitable. In the opinion of Jefferson Davis , typical of that of Mississippian whites of his day, Africans being held in slavery reflected the will of Providence, as it led to their Christianizing and to the improvement of their condition, compared to what it would have been had they remained in Africa. According to Davis,
3234-433: The tamale . It is up for debate as to their origins, but it is strongly suggested they arrived in the Delta with migrant Mexican laborers in the early twentieth century and are attested to around that time period in blues music centering around the dish. While their most common filling is pork they differ from the traditional tamale in that they are made from corn meal rather than masa and boiled rather than steamed. Today
3332-549: The "little rock" began pressuring the Arkansas territorial legislature in February 1820 to move the capital to the site, but the representatives could not decide between Little Rock or Cadron (now Conway ), which was the preferred site of Territorial Governor James Miller . The issue was tabled until October 1820, by which time most of the legislators and other influential men had purchased lots around Little Rock. The legislature moved
3430-602: The 1920s and 1930s, in the aftermath of the increasing mechanization of Delta farms that reduced the need for labor, displaced whites and African Americans began to leave the land and move to towns and cities. Tens of thousands of Black laborers left the Jim Crow south for better opportunities in the Northeast and Midwest in the Great Migration , settling in cities such as St. Louis , Chicago , Cleveland , and New York City . It
3528-501: The 21st century, about one-third of Mississippi's African American population resides in the Delta, which has many black-majority state legislative districts. Much of the Delta is included in Mississippi's 2nd congressional district , represented by Democrat Bennie Thompson . Chinese immigrants began settling in Bolivar County and other Delta counties as plantation workers in the 1870s, though most Delta Chinese families migrated to
3626-622: The Africans "increased from a few unprofitable savages to millions of efficient Christian laborers." By the early 19th century, cotton had become the Delta's premier crop, for which there was high international demand. Mills in New England and New York also demanded cotton for their industry, and New York City was closely tied to the cotton trade. Many southern planters traveled so frequently there for business that they had favorite hotels. From 1822 cotton-related exports comprised half of all exports from
3724-671: The Deep South. The demand for labor drove the domestic slave trade , and more than one million African American slaves were forced by sales into the South, taken in a forced migration from families in the Upper South. After continued European-American settlement in the area, congressional passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 extinguished Native American claims to these lands. The Five Civilized Tribes and others were mostly removed west of
3822-506: The Delta "a kind of Saudi Arabia of the early nineteenth century." Demand for cotton remained high until well after the American Civil War , even in an era of falling cotton prices. Though cotton planters believed that the alluvial soils of the region would always renew, the agricultural boom from the 1830s to the late 1850s caused extensive soil exhaustion and erosion . Lacking agricultural knowledge, planters continued to raise cotton
3920-403: The Delta's economy, particularly in the areas of Tunica and Vicksburg. A large cultural influence in the region is its history of hunting and fishing. Hunting in the Delta is primarily for game such as whitetail deer, wild turkey, and waterfowl, along with many small game species (squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, raccoon, etc.) For many years, the hunting and fishing have also attracted visitors in
4018-411: The Delta, their population has increased in the state. The Mississippi Delta received waves of immigration from three areas which have provided many of America's immigrants: China, Mexico, and Italy. The Italians of the Mississippi Delta brought with them elements of Italian cuisine to the region, and possibly most importantly, elements of Southern Italian music such as the mandolin, which became
Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-605: The Eastern District of Arkansas granted an injunction from the U.S. Department of Justice compelling him to withdraw the Guard. Angry white mobs began rioting when the nine black students began attending Central High School. President Dwight D. Eisenhower , on the request of Woodrow Wilson Mann , Little Rock's mayor, deployed the 101st Airborne Division to the city and federalized the Arkansas National Guard to protect
4214-628: The Gulf Coast lies some 300 miles south of this area in Louisiana , and is referred to as the Mississippi River Delta . Rather, the Mississippi Delta is part of an alluvial plain , created by regular flooding of the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers over thousands of years. The climate is humid subtropical, with short mild winters, and long, hot and wet summers. The land is flat and contains some of
4312-417: The Mississippi Delta. In 1890, the white-dominated state legislature passed a new state constitution effectively disenfranchising most blacks in the state. In the next three decades, most blacks lost their lands due to tight credit and political oppression . African Americans had to resort to sharecropping and tenant farming to survive. Their political exclusion was maintained by the whites until after
4410-679: The Mississippi River, and European-American settlement expanded at a rapid rate in Georgia , Alabama , Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas . In the areas of greatest cotton cultivation, whites were far outnumbered by their slaves. Many slaves were transported to Delta towns by riverboat from slave markets in New Orleans , which became the fourth largest city in the country by 1840. Other slaves were transported downriver from slave markets at Memphis and Louisville . Still others were transported by sea in
4508-538: The Mississippi state legislature passed a new constitution which effectively disenfranchised most blacks by use of such devices as poll taxes , literacy tests and grandfather clauses , which withstood court challenges. If one method was overturned by the courts, the state would come up with another to continue exclusion of blacks from the political system. Unable to vote, they could not participate on juries. The state passed legislation to impose racial segregation and other aspects of Jim Crow . This system of oppression
4606-704: The Ozarks , Rose Law Firm , Westrock Coffee, Central Flying Service, and large brokerage Stephens Inc. are headquartered in Little Rock. Large companies headquartered in other cities but with a large presence in Little Rock are Dassault Falcon Jet (near Little Rock National Airport in the eastern part of the city), Fidelity National Information Services (in northwestern Little Rock), and Welspun Corp (in Southeast Little Rock). Little Rock and its surroundings are home to headquarters for large nonprofit organizations, such as Winrock International , Heifer International ,
4704-512: The Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in downtown Little Rock; although there were no deaths, 28 people were injured and one hospitalized. In 2021, Little Rock saw a decrease in most violent crime, but a 24% increase in homicides from 2020. The 65 homicides were the third-most on record in the city. Little Rock set a new record of 81 homicides in 2022. Dillard's Department Stores , Windstream Communications and Acxiom , Simmons Bank , Bank of
4802-882: The Quorum, Circuit, District, and Juvenile Courts; and the Assessor, County Judge, County Attorney, and Public Defender's offices. Both the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit have judicial facilities in Little Rock. Emergency Response is brought to you by the Little Rock Police Department , Little Rock Fire Department, and Metropolitan Emergency Medical Service (MEMS) The Little Rock School District (LRSD) operates
4900-803: The RiverBlades of the ECHL played at the Verizon Arena . Little Rock is home to the Grande Maumelle Sailing Club. Established in 1959, the club hosts multiple regattas during the year on both Lake Maumelle and the Arkansas River . Little Rock is also home to the Little Rock Marathon , held on the first Saturday of March every year since 2003. The marathon features the world's largest medal given to marathon participants. Little Rock has 48 parks in its park system. The region's largest park
4998-506: The South; it features seasonal festivals and cultural events. Lassis Inn was a meeting place for civil rights leaders in the 1950s and 1960s, including Daisy Bates , while they were planning efforts such as the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School . In 2017, it was among the three inaugural inductees into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame , along with Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales and Jones Bar-B-Q Diner . In 2020, it
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#17330924599565096-906: The United Methodist Church, are also in Little Rock. Located in downtown is the Clinton School of Public Service , a branch of the University of Arkansas System, which offers master's degrees in public service. Pulaski Technical College has two locations in Little Rock. The Pulaski Technical College Little Rock-South site houses programs in automotive technology, collision repair technology, commercial driver training, diesel technology, small engine repair technology and motorcycle/all-terrain vehicle repair technology. The Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute and The Finish Line Cafe are also in Little Rock-South. There
5194-425: The bottomlands, it was developed as one of the richest cotton -growing areas in the nation before the American Civil War (1861–1865). The region attracted many speculators who developed land along the riverfronts for cotton plantations; they became wealthy planters dependent on the labor of people they enslaved, who composed the vast majority of the population in these counties well before the Civil War, often twice
5292-436: The capital to Little Rock, where it has remained ever since. Little Rock Nine were the nine African American students who desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957 after the Little Rock School Board voted to begin the area's desegregation, in compliance with Brown v. Board of Education . On September 4, 1957, the first day of school at Central High, a white mob of segregationist protesters physically blocked
5390-462: The city limits are Pinnacle Mountain and Lake Maumelle , which provides Little Rock's drinking water. The city of North Little Rock is just across the river from Little Rock, but it is a separate city. North Little Rock was once the 8th ward of Little Rock. An Arkansas Supreme Court decision on February 6, 1904, allowed the ward to merge with the neighboring town of North Little Rock. The merged town quickly renamed itself Argenta (the local name for
5488-965: The city such as Mills University Studies High School and Joe T. Robinson High School . Little Rock is home to both the Arkansas School for the Blind (ASB) and the Arkansas School for the Deaf (ASD), which are state-run schools operated by the Board of Trustees of the ASB–ASD. In addition, eStem Public Charter High School and LISA Academy provide tuition-free public education as charter schools. Various private schools are in Little Rock, such as: Arkansas Baptist School System , Central Arkansas Christian Schools , Episcopal Collegiate School , Little Rock Catholic High School , Little Rock Christian Academy , Mount Saint Mary Academy and Pulaski Academy . Little Rock's Catholic high school for African-Americans, St. Bartholomew High School, closed in 1964. The Catholic grade school St. Bartholomew School, also established for African-Americans, closed in 1974. The Our Lady of Good Counsel School closed in 2006. Little Rock
5586-516: The city was 48.9% White, 42.3% Black, 0.4% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. 6.8% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. There were 82,018 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who
5684-772: The city's comprehensive public school system. As of 2012 , the district has 64 schools with more schools being built. As of the 2009–2010 school year, the district's enrollment is 25,685. It has 5 high schools, 8 middle schools, 31 elementary schools, 1 early childhood (pre-kindergarten) center, 2 alternative schools, 1 adult education center, 1 accelerated learning center, 1 career-technical center, and about 3,800 employees. The public high schools in Little Rock are Little Rock Central High School , Little Rock Southwest High School , Little Rock West High School , Hall STEAM Magnet High School and Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School . The Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) serves parts of Little Rock. PCSSD high schools are in
5782-420: The classics of dramatic literature. The Community Theatre of Little Rock , founded in 1956, is the area's oldest performance art company. The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performs over 30 concerts a year and many events. The Robinson Center Music Hall is the main performance center of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. The Wildwood Park for the Arts is the largest park dedicated to the performing arts in
5880-419: The clearing and drainage of wetlands, especially in Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel , increased lands available for tenant farming and sharecropping. Planters needed workers and recruited Italians and Chinese workers in the 19th century to satisfy demand. They quickly moved out of field labor, saving money as communities in order to establish themselves as merchants, often in the small rural towns. During
5978-431: The cultivation and processing of both rice and indigo. Hundreds of thousands of Africans were captured, sold and transported as slaves from West Africa to North America. The invention of the cotton gin in the late 18th century made profitable the cultivation of short-staple cotton. This type could not be grown in the upland areas of the South, leading to the rapid development of King Cotton throughout what became known as
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#17330924599566076-439: The dish is associated mainly with African American chefs despite originating from different cultural foodways. Fried Catfish is a staple of the Mississippi Delta. There exist a number of catfish farms throughout the region which supply fresh and local fish to kitchens across the Delta. The meal consists of catfish filets which are breaded and fried. Many sides exist for the dish and are nonessential. One such side, hushpuppies ,
6174-407: The first and second generations of African Americans after slavery lost their stake in the land. They had to resort to sharecropping and tenant farming to survive. Sharecropping and tenant farming replaced the slave-dependent plantation system. African American families retained some autonomy, rather than working on gangs of laborers. As many were illiterate, they were often taken advantage of by
6272-404: The first phase of the Great Migration was the effect of the migration of a workforce, not its cause. It was not until the mid-1940s that the doctrine of White supremacy demanded that Blacks be displaced. By that time, Lemann writes, Delta Whites feared socio-political changes that might be forced on the Delta by the Roosevelt Democratic coalition and the pressure of returning WWII veterans; the Delta
6370-411: The flat Mississippi Delta region to the Ouachita Mountain foothills. It was named in 1722 by French explorer and trader, Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe . Travelers referred to the area as the "Little Rock". Though there was an effort to officially name the city "Arkopolis" upon its founding in the 1820s, and that name did appear on a few maps made by the US Geological Survey , the name Little Rock
6468-408: The former 8th Ward), but returned to its original name in October 1917. Little Rock lies in the humid subtropical climate zone ( Cfa ), with hot, humid summers and cool winters with usually little snow. It has experienced temperatures as low as −12 °F (−24 °C), which was recorded on February 12, 1899 , and as high as 114 °F (46 °C), which was recorded on August 3, 2011. As of
6566-400: The gains of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. The majority of residents in several counties in the region are still Black, although more than 400,000 African Americans left the state during the Great Migration in the first half of the 20th century, moving to Northeastern, Midwestern, and Western industrial cities. As the agricultural economy does not support many jobs or businesses,
6664-402: The land to establish farms. European settlers in the region attempted to enslave local Native Americans for labor, though this proved unsuccessful as they frequently escaped. By the 18th century, the settlers had switched to importing enslaved Africans instead as a source of labor. In the early years of European colonization, enslaved African laborers brought critical knowledge and techniques for
6762-454: The land to eventually purchase it from their sale of lumber. Tens of thousands of new settlers, both Black and White, were drawn to the area. By the end of the century, two-thirds of the independent farmers in the Mississippi Delta were Black. But, the extended low price of cotton had caused many to go deeply into debt, and gradually they had to sell off their lands, as they had a harder time getting credit than did White farmers. From 1910 to 1920,
6860-399: The longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge in North America that has never been used by trains or motor vehicles at 4,226 feet (1,288 m). Little Rock Zoo , founded in 1926, consists of at least 725 animals and over 200 species. The city has operated under the city manager form of government since November 1957. In 1993, voters approved changes from seven at-large city directors (who rated
6958-501: The lower Delta. Shifts away from the river as a main transportation and trading route to railroads and, more significantly, highways, have left the river cities struggling for new roles and businesses. Due to the growth of the automobile industry in the South, many parts suppliers have opened facilities in the Delta (as well as on the Arkansas Delta side of the Mississippi River, another area of high poverty). The 1990s state legalization of casino gambling in Mississippi has boosted
7056-411: The men drove tractors and worked on the farms. From the 1960s through the 1990s, thousands of small farms and dwellings in the Delta region were absorbed by large corporate-owned agribusinesses , and the smallest Delta communities have stagnated . One company that served the agricultural industry in the region was an aerial crop dusting service that eventually became Delta Air Lines , which is currently
7154-693: The most fertile soil in the world as part of the Mississippi embayment . It is two hundred miles long and seventy miles across at its widest point, encompassing approximately 4,415,000 acres, or, some 7,000 square miles of alluvial floodplain. On the east, it is bounded by bluffs extending beyond the Yazoo River. The Delta includes all or part of the following counties: Washington , Western DeSoto , Humphreys , Carroll , Issaquena , Western Panola , Quitman , Bolivar , Coahoma , Leflore , Sunflower , Sharkey , Tate , Tunica , Tallahatchie , Western Holmes , Western Yazoo , Western Grenada , and Warren . In
7252-496: The musicians and ministers competed for their money. The Great Migration to northern cities, beginning before World War I, seriously depleted Black communities and churches, but the musicians sparked off each other in the industrial cities, with blues in Chicago and St. Louis . Following is a list of various festivals in the Delta: Hot tamales are a Delta-endemic derivation of
7350-610: The nine black students from entering the school. Minnijean Brown , Terrence Roberts , Elizabeth Eckford , Ernest Green , Thelma Mothershed , Melba Patillo , Gloria Ray , Jefferson Thomas , and Carlotta Walls , who had been recruited by Daisy Bates and the NAACP , attempted to integrate Central High School, but Governor Orval Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to support the segregationists , and only backed down after Judge Ronald Davies of U.S. District Court for
7448-463: The number of whites. As the riverfront areas were developed first and railroads were slowly constructed, most of the delta's bottomlands remained undeveloped, even after the Civil War. Both Black and White migrants flowed into Mississippi, using their labor to clear land and sell timber in order to buy land. By the end of the 19th century, Black farmers made up two-thirds of the independent farmers in
7546-567: The onset of the Great Migration coincided with the passage of immigration restrictions that throttled the supply of immigrants who had been willing to take the worst of the jobs of the industrial North, which was relatively free of the suffocating breadth of Jim Crow. Further, Lemann wrote, "it was undeniable that the economic opportunity [in the North] was vastly greater; that moment in the Black rural South
7644-409: The planters' accounting. The number of lynchings of Black men rose in the region at the time of settling accounts, and researchers have also found a correlation of lynchings to years that were poor economically for the region. The sharecropping and tenant system, with each family making its own decisions, inhibited the use of progressive agricultural techniques in the region. In the late 19th century,
7742-411: The port of New York City. In 1861 Democratic mayor Fernando Wood called for secession of New York City because of its close business ties to the South. Eventually the city joined the state in supporting the war, but immigrants resented having to fight when the wealthy could buy their way out of military service. Comparing cotton's preeminence then to that of oil today, Historian Sven Beckert called
7840-457: The position of mayor among themselves) to a popularly elected mayor, seven ward directors and three at-large directors. The position of mayor remained a part-time position until August 2007. At that point, voters approved making the mayor's position a full-time position with veto power , while a vice mayor is selected by and among members of the city board. The current mayor, elected in November 2018,
7938-561: The region by European settlers from the Caribbean in the 18th century. Sugar and rice production were centered in southern Louisiana , and later in the Arkansas Delta . Early agriculture also included limited tobacco production in the Natchez area and indigo in the lower Mississippi. French yeomen settlers, supported by extensive families, had begun the back-breaking process of clearing
8036-465: The region has attempted to diversify. Lumbering is important and new crops such as soybeans have been cultivated in the area by the largest industrial farmers. At times, the region has suffered heavy flooding from the Mississippi River, notably in 1927 and 2011 . Despite the name, this region is not the delta of the Mississippi River . The shifting river delta at the mouth of the Mississippi on
8134-399: The region's agrarian heritage are scattered along the highways and byways of the lower Delta. Larger communities have survived by fostering economic development in education , government , and medicine . Other endeavors such as catfish , poultry , rice, corn , and soybean farming have assumed greater importance. Today, the monetary value of these crops rivals that of cotton production in
8232-578: The regional tourism economy. The Delta is one of the top waterfowl destinations in the world because it is in the middle of the Mississippi Flyway (the largest of all the migratory bird routes in America). Delta politics was dominated by Democrats during the post-Civil War era, though areas of resistance from blacks and whites remained throughout the era. Some of these Southern Democrats resorted to using fraud, violence, and intimidation to regain control of
8330-569: The same towns often settled near each other. The view that mechanization sparked the Great Migration—both Black and White—has been challenged by two of the most prominent recent chroniclers of the event. Isabel Wilkerson characterizes the migration as a flight for freedom from the political terror of lynchings and the hardening of Jim Crow restrictions on Black freedom: "They did what human beings looking for freedom, throughout history, have often done. They left." Nicholas Lemann notes
8428-553: The same way after the Civil War. Plantations before the war were generally developed on ridges near the rivers, which were used for transportation of products to market. Most of the territory of Mississippi was still considered wilderness, needing substantial new population. These areas were covered in a heavy dense growth of trees, bushes and vines. Following the Civil War, 90 percent of the bottomlands in Mississippi were still undeveloped. The state attracted thousands of migrants to its frontier. They could trade their labor in clearing
8526-557: The stadium from time to time. Little Rock was a host of the First and Second Rounds of the 2008 NCAA men's basketball tournament . It has also been a host of the SEC women's basketball tournament. The now defunct Arkansas RiverBlades and Arkansas GlacierCats , both minor-league hockey teams, were in the Little Rock area. The GlacierCats of the now defunct Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) played in Little Rock at Barton Coliseum while
8624-455: The state between the 1900s and 1930s. Most of these immigrants worked to leave the fields, becoming merchants in the small rural towns. As these have declined, along with other Delta residents ethnic Chinese have moved to cities or other states. Their descendants represent most of the ethnic Asian residents of the Delta recorded in censuses. While many descendants of the Delta Chinese have left
8722-494: The state legislature in the late 19th century. Civic groups such as the Red Shirts in Mississippi were active against Republicans and blacks, sometimes using violence to suppress their voting for state candidates. But many blacks continued to be elected to local offices, and there was a biracial coalition between Republicans and Populists that briefly gained state power in the late 1880s. To prevent this from happening again, in 1890
8820-609: The state's largest public employers, with over 10,552 employees, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and its healthcare partners— Arkansas Children's Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System —have a total annual economic impact in Arkansas of about $ 5 billion. UAMS receives less than 11% of its funding from the state; it is funded by payments for clinical services (64%), grants and contracts (18%), philanthropy and other (5%), and tuition and fees (2%). The Little Rock port
8918-522: The students and ensure their safe passage to the school. Little Rock's four public high schools were closed in September 1958, and reopened a year later. Integration across all grades was fully achieved in fall 1972. The Little Rock school episode drew international attention to the treatment of African Americans in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has
9016-469: Was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Little Rock metropolitan area is the 81st-most populous in the United States with 748,031 residents according to the 2020 census. As the county seat of Pulaski County , the city was incorporated on November 7, 1831, on the south bank of the Arkansas River close to the state's geographic center in Central Arkansas . The city derived its name from
9114-448: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85 males. The median income for
9212-443: Was maintained with violence and economic boycotts into the years of increasing activism for civil rights, as blacks worked to regain their constitutional rights as citizens. The Delta counties were sites of fierce and violent resistance to change, with blacks murdered for trying to register to vote or to use public facilities. African Americans were not able to exercise their constitutional rights again until well after their successes in
9310-780: Was named an America's Classic by the James Beard Foundation. Little Rock is home to the Arkansas Travelers . They are the AA professional Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Seattle Mariners in the Texas League . The Travelers played their last game in Little Rock at Ray Winder Field on September 3, 2006, and moved into Dickey–Stephens Park in nearby North Little Rock in April 2007. The Little Rock Rangers soccer club of
9408-477: Was not until the Great Depression years of the 1930s and later that large-scale farm mechanization came to the region. The mechanization of agriculture and the availability of domestic work outside the Delta spurred the migration of Delta residents from the region. Farming was unable to absorb the available labor force , and entire families moved together, many going north on the railroad to Chicago. People from
9506-546: Was one of the few in American history when virtually every member of a large class of people was guaranteed an immediate quadrupling of income, at least, by simply relocating to a place that was only a long day’s journey away." In this view, Southern Blacks were the agents of the Great Migration and not passive objects. Instead, they actively fled oppression and sought freedom, especially in the years between World War I and World War II. A slow mechanization of Delta agriculture during
9604-544: Was three-quarters Black, so their voting potential was huge. As Delta native Aaron Henry, who was born in 1922, put it, "They wished we’d go back to Africa, but Chicago was close enough." From the late 1930s through the 1950s, the Delta enjoyed an agriculture boom, as wartime needs followed by reconstruction in Europe and Japan expanded the demand for the Delta region's farm products. As the mechanization of agriculture continued, women left fieldwork and went into service work, while
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