Joy in Reading

I believe I’ve been addicted to reading since my toddler years. My earliest memory is sitting on my grandmother’s lap while she read the newspapers to me. I was two years old. Before long I was recognizing words and reading independently. The first book that I owned was Miss Suzy published in 1964, written by Miriam Young and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. The focal point of the story was friendship, home, and overcoming bullies. It was my favorite Christmas present.

Books were like vegetables to me, though—there were some I liked and some I didn’t. The variety of selection based on shape or color attracted me. I knew books contained nutrients, good for me although I had no idea of their specific benefit to my body (same with vegetables). Consumption of reading materials is still a gift I give to myself.

After I came to be employed by the Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, a book on the shelf in the Research Room demanded my attention. Racial Possibilities as Indicated by the Negroes of Arkansas by Rev. Dr. D. B. Gaines published in 1898 had no obvious illustrations on the cover to grab my attention, but it only needed to have a title that exploded with possibilities of what could be contained in such a volume of information. It held twenty-five distinct chapters, with the last chapter describing area churches in the Black community.

I realized I’d visited several of these churches in their current locations. My home church, Reed Memorial CME Church, did not exist in 1898 but is a product of Miles Chapel CME Church. I’ve attended services at Wesley Chapel, Ward’s Chapel AME, Allison Presbyterian, Bethel AME, First Baptist at 7th & Gaines, Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Zion, and Shiloh Baptist. Many of the churches listed in 1898 have current manifestations of religious services in the city today.

Chapter 11 was about “Colored Women.” The first sentence of this chapter reads, “The colored women of the capital city are fair representatives of their sex anywhere and of any color.” Gaines states that “reputation is what others say of you; character is what you are.” In this chapter he explains the opinions of prejudiced newspaper columns and how reputations could abused through information obtained through some worthless man. It is this defense of women that challenged me to know more about the author.

An interview conducted by Samuel S. Taylor, a local writer and scholar who worked with the Urban League, is part of the Federal Writers’ Project in Arkansas supervised by Bernie Babcock between 1936 and 1938.

Taylor interviewed Dr. D. B. Gaines, then aged seventy-five. Gaines remembers his family moving from South Carolina to Morrilton, Arkansas. His legal name is Doctor Blueford Gaines, and he was named for the brother of his father’s enslaver. He graduated from Philander Smith College (now Philander Smith University) in 1891 and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1896. He was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1900 and served as pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church (1400 Ringo Street) for decades. He was an active political leader, helping to protest the Streetcar Segregation Act by organizing the historic “We Walk” boycott in 1903. In the interview, he states that he realized he was a real preacher and not a real doctor and that’s why he focused more on ministry than medicine.

My commonality with Dr. D. B. Gaines included the street of residence for most of my childhood, Gaines Street. My family has roots in Morrilton. My family is part of civil rights history in Arkansas. My family includes medical professionals, educators, and ministers. I know which of my ancestors shared earth space at the same time and in the same city as Dr. Gaines. His chapter on “Colored Women” will always be inspirational for me. This book shares insight still politically viable during this 250th celebratory year of the start of the United States.

Come see us in the Research Room in the CALS Roberts Library and peruse the shelves to find a book that inspires you. Visit the CALS website (opens in new window) for Roberts Library visiting information (opens in new window).

Also check out the Roberts Library’s activity for Summer @ CALS 2026.

Rhonda Stewart is the genealogy and local history specialist for the Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, housed in the CALS Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art.