History as it Happens
History as it Happens is an initiative from the CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies to actively document ongoing historical events and those in the recent past.
Our current projects include: 2019 Arkansas River Flood; COVID-19;
Tales by the River: Documenting Black Lives Matter; March 31, 2023 Tornado Outbreak
2019
Arkansas River Flood
The Arkansas River flood of 2019 was being described as “historic” before a single levee was breached or structure flooded. Recognizing the impact the flooding would have on the region, CALS Roberts Library staff decided to try to find a way to preserve community documentation of the flood before the headlines stopped.
The library has so far received over 500 pieces of media from more than 100 community members. Images and videos include everything from aerial footage, social media posts, and camera photos. With this project, the library was able to preserve media that may have otherwise been lost when Snapchat and Instagram stories disappeared, or camera rolls were cleared.
Patrons are encouraged to view and contribute content if they haven’t done so already.
2020
COVID-19
During the 1918 Flu pandemic, a Little Rock woman wrote the following to her son, who was away fighting in France:
You know we have been having a strict quarantine here for two weeks on account of the Spanish Influenza. No school, church, club meetings or gatherings of any kind. The situation is improving some. While there is no school some of the women teachers are driving milk wagons—one of them brings me milk.
COVID-19 was and continues to be a historically impactful event. Future generations will want to know how we lived through the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, just as they look back to the 1918 Flu pandemic. The CALS Butler Center encourages members of our Central Arkansas community to document their experiences during this time of crisis. We are looking for diaries, photographs, poetry, oral history interviews, artwork, video, etc. How did you spend your days? How has your life since been affected?
The CALS Butler Center received many survey responses, photographs, and stories of experiences of first responders during the first months of the pandemic. Patrons are encouraged to view and contribute content if they haven’t done so already.
2022
Tales by the River: Documenting Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013 after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Since that time, the movement has become nationally recognized for bringing attention to incidents of violence against African Americans. The year 2020 saw some of the largest protests in American history following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. These protests even reached Arkansas when thousands of people around the state protested against systemic injustice and the mistreatment of African Americans.
The Little Rock Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission (RCDC) and Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) Butler Center for Arkansas Studies collaborated in presenting Tales By The River in 2022. The Butler Center began collecting Black Lives Matter documentation in 2021 around the anniversary of the 2020 demonstrations, and re-launched the project in cooperation with the City of Little Rock’s Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission to broaden our reach and engage the Central Arkansas community.
The CALS Butler Center received many survey responses, photographs, and stories of experiences. Patrons are encouraged to view and contribute content if they haven’t done so already.
2023
Tornado Outbreak
Our community experienced a devastating tornado outbreak on March 31, 2023. Future generations will want to know how the tornado affected Arkansas. The CALS Butler Center encourages members of our community to document their experiences during the outbreak.
Do you have before and after views of damaged sites? Have you written about your experience in a diary or taken part in recovery efforts and documented the storm’s destruction? Did anyone call and leave you a voicemail during their experience in the storm? Can you screenshot images of your Instagram stories or Snapchat to share? Did you share anything via TikTok? We are looking for diaries, photographs, poetry, oral history interviews, artwork, video, etc. We are also inviting community members to take part in a questionnaire to further document their experiences during this historical event. How did you respond to the tornado? How has your life been affected? We want to know.
The CALS Butler Center received many survey responses, photographs, and stories of experiences. Patrons are encouraged to view and contribute content if they haven’t done so already.
