Longtime Educator Joins the Black History Commission of Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK — Longtime educator and social justice advocate Dr. Jesse Hargrove has been appointed to the Black History Commission of Arkansas. He replaces Dr. John Graves.
“The commission is important because history, heritage
and culture must be protected and preserved, but more importantly, it must be
used as education to assist those who don’t have an understanding of African
American history and culture,” Hargrove said. “I want to be a continuous part
of that effort.”
The commission seeks to collect materials on
Arkansas’s black history and its history-makers to raise awareness of the
contributions and impact of black Arkansans on the state’s history. The commission
also is charged with promoting teaching black history in schools statewide.
Members are appointed by the governor and are:
Hargrove, of Alexander; Patricia Johnson, of Pocahontas; Rev. Frank H. Stewart,
of Conway; Elise Hampton, of Conway; Myron Jackson, of Little Rock, Dr.
Cherrise Jones Branch, of Jonesboro; and Carla Hines Coleman, of Little Rock.
Hargrove is a tenure-track, associate professor of Spanish
at Philander Smith College, where he has been employed in various roles since
1999. He is the author of “The Best Poetry in America,” published in 2010, and “Closing
the Achievement Gap in America: A National Imperative for A Super Man, A Super
Woman and A Superintendent,” a 2011 publication that discusses how best to help
students in minority groups achieve equal academic success. Hargrove also wrote “The Legacy of Celia
Adams,” a book published in 2014 that focuses on the lasting legacy of slavery
and its effect on his family and others.
Hargrove earned his bachelor’s degree in 1975,
master’s degree in 1977 and PhD in 1983. He taught sixth and eighth graders
Spanish in 1998 and 1999. Before that, he was dean of African American Students
and director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center at the University
of Arizona from 1989 to 1997. Hargrove also has served as chairman of the Teacher
Education Committee and as the teacher licensure officer at Philander Smith
College.
Hargrove served 11 years on the state education
department’s Arkansas Commission on Closing the Academic Achievement Gap from
2004 to 2015.
Hargrove said he has been an advocate for African
American history for decades. In 1992, former U.S. Sen. John McCain asked
Hargrove to testify before a federal committee to advocate for a national
museum for African American heritage. It took another 25 years of advocacy
before Congress passed legislation to open the National Museum of African
American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., Hargrove said.
The commission will meet next at noon Thursday, Nov. 8,
at the Arkansas State Archives at 1 Capitol Mall in Little Rock. The meeting is
open to the public.
