AY Magazine / February 2012 / Preserving the History of Arkansas’ African Americans

Preserving the History of Arkansas’ African Americans

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) is dedicated to preserving the history of the lives and businesses of African Americans in Arkansas.

Following the Civil War, federal troops built shanties as housing for African Americans — many were slaves who escaped plantations — who eventually settled in the Ninth Street area in Little Rock, Arkansas. As the neighborhoods were established, so were businesses. According to John Graves, chair of the department of Social Sciences at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., the businesses included doctors’ and dentists’ offices; pharmacies; barber and beauty shops; cafes; tradesmen and craftsmen shops; night clubs; and pool halls. The successful, five-block business district grew and was anchored by The Mosaic Templars Building, which houses the MTCC, and Taborian Hall, which is now home to the Arkansas Flag & Banner. 

“During this era, the black urban middle class emerged. Some African Americans became quite wealthy, one for example is Mifflin Gibbs, for whom Gibbs Elementary School is named,” Graves said. Gibbs was the first elected African American municipal court judge in the United States and owned several businesses, including a real estate office, in Little Rock.

The Mosaic Templars of America (MTA), a fraternal insurance agency, was established in May 1882 by two former slaves, John E. Bush and Chester Keatts, to meet the need for death and burial insurance for African Americans. 

The constitution of the MTA listed its objectives: “to unite fraternally … persons of good moral character of every profession, business and occupation”; to aid its members; to establish a benefit fund for death and a fund to provide relief for sick and distressed members. The organization, for a time, also offered personal and business loans and mortgages. In 1911, the MTA completed the construction of its national headquarters at Ninth and Broadway; the building stood as a testament of the Bush’s and Keatts’ leadership and was built and maintained by monies raised and contributed solely by African Americans.

The MTA grew to include as much as 80,000 members in 26 states, Central and South America and the West Indies, and 2,000 lodges (with Temples for men; Chambers for women; and Palaces for youth), and expanded to include a newspaper, the Mosaic Guide, a hospital, a school and a nursing school and encompassed three buildings. The MTA suffered great financial loss — likely due to the Great Depression — and went into receivership in 1931. However, the neighborhood continued to thrive. John Cain is a member of the Mosaic Templars Building Preservation Society and is president of the organization’s advisory council. Cain, a natural-born preservationist, is one of the MTA’s historians.  

“As a young man, every two weeks, I would ride the bus into Little Rock and walk to Ninth Street to get a haircut, get my clothes pressed and my shoes shined, so I remember the vibrancy of the area,” Cain said. “In fact, in 1959, I worked in the building in a parts warehouse. I’d occasionally visit the second and third floors. I realized the importance of the building and the architecture, which was very apparent in the auditorium.” 

Cain said urban renewal in the early ‘60s changed the neighborhood, in effect, causing African Americans to abandon the area. Graves agrees. 

“Many of downtown Little Rock’s blocks were called ‘salt and pepper areas’ as blacks and whites lived harmoniously. Jim Crow laws and the building of housing projects changed the face of the area.” Cain said the use of imminent domain to build Interstate 630 also factored into the demise of the district, which was often referred to as “The Beale Street of Arkansas” or “Little Harlem” Graves said.

Cain, programming director for KABF, realized his passion for preservation in radio, working to maintain jazz programming. While living in Alabama, his interest in African American fraternal organizations was sparked. When he returned to the Natural State, he began a quest to preserve the history of the Mosaic Templars building. He contacted the Historic Arkansas Preservation Society and the Quapaw Preservation Society, and along with the more than 50 members of the Mosaic Templars of America Building Preservation Society, which included the driving force of the late Ellen T. Carpenter, eventually got the building registered as a historic site. The society, established in 1992, worked for nine years to raise funds and awareness to restore the building and establish the museum. In March 2005, fire destroyed the original structure, and the society along with the Department of Arkansas Heritage launched a successful effort to raise the $6.5 million needed to rebuild the headquarters. 

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center opened its doors Sept. 20, 2008 and has captured and preserved the history of African Americans in Arkansas, documenting the darkest hours — such as lynchings and discrimination — and its finest hours — such as the entrepreneurial spirit of the individuals who built the Ninth Street Business District. 

Exhibits at the MTCC highlight civil rights in Arkansas; the Elaine Race Massacres; the desegregation of Arkansas schools and much more. “Although Central High School’s story is most well known, there were other schools in the state that integrated without incident,” said Jennelle Primm, director of public programs. “Our goal is to present a well-rounded look at African Americans in Arkansas.”

The MTCC proudly houses the largest collection of artifacts and works by Isaac Scott Hathaway. “He was the first African American to design a U.S. coin; however, he was also well known for his busts,” Primm said. The exhibit is on the first floor of the building.

In fact, the museum’s layout is similar to that of the original organization. “Originally, the first floor housed rental spaces for businesses; the second floor housed offices; and the third, an auditorium/ballroom in which competitions, banquets, dances and more were held.” The museum’s exhibits, including a replica of a MTA office, and gift shop are located on the street level; administrative offices are housed on the second floor; and the third floor is home to the exhibit hall for the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and an auditorium. Items available in the gift shop include locally-produced jewelry; postcards; magazines; books; CDs; and games.

The current exhibit “Soul Sanctuary: Images of the African American Worship Experience” will run through Feb. 22. The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St., is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage; admission is free, and the hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, log onto mosaictemplarscenter.com or call (501) 683-3593.