MINUTES OF THE ARKANSAS BLACK HISTORY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

November 20, 2003

One Capitol Mall, Little Rock

Chairman Curtis H. Sykes called the meeting to order at 2:05 p.m. Members present were Rev. Barry Dobson, Dr. Henri L. Linton and Mrs. Versia Miles. Members absent were Mr. Mylas Jeffers and Mr. Nashid Madyun. The Chairman stated that Mr. Madyun is now a resident of another state and is therefore no longer a member of the Advisory Committee.

On motion the minutes of the meeting of August 28, 2003 were read and approved.

Ms. Lavona Wilson reported on projects of the Arkansas Humanities Council which are funded by the Committee, stating that such funds are now exhausted. On motion by Dr. Linton, seconded by Mrs. Miles, the Committee voted to provide the sum of $10,000 to the Council so that the joint program of African American history projects might be continued. The money is to come from the appropriated amount of $25,724 which was recently released to the Committee.

Mr. Steven Weber reported for the State Department of Education on African American history in our public schools.

Mr. Andre Guerrero of the State Department of Education gave an account of a recent trip by himself and Dr. John W. Graves to Barbados, where they visited with members of a surviving chapter of the Mosaic Templars.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 p.m. after agreement to meet again at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, February 26, 2004.

John L. Ferguson

Secretary