Winthrop Rockefeller Legacy Weekend 2010

Schedule of Events

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FRIDAY, APRIL 30

Legacy Weekend Opening Ceremony
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Main Conference Center Breezeway

Winthrop Rockefeller's refurbished Winrock Farms office will be unveiled at a dedication ceremony to kick off Legacy Weekend. Special guests include the following:

  • Will Rockefeller, grandson of W.R.
  • William “Sonny” Walker, Ph.D., former director of the Arkansas Office of Economic Opportunity under Rockefeller, serving as the first black Cabinet member appointed in a Southern state
  • John Kirk, Ph.D., Winthrop Rockefeller biographer and professor of history at the University of London (U.K.)

Former members of Rockefeller’s staff will conduct a roundtable discussion to highlight some of the important decisions made in the office that helped shape the future of Arkansas.


Arts in the Air Professional Art Exhibit and Sale Opening Reception
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Show Barn Hall

The Rockefeller Institute’s Arts in the Air Professional Art Exhibit and Sale will feature the work of 13 minority artists. The artists will be available to discuss their art with patrons.


Twenty-five Years of Gender Equity and Empowerment in Arkansas and Around the World
Presented by Winrock International
7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Rock Theater

Winrock International staff will lead a roundtable discussion about their organization’s activities and accomplishments during the past 25 years that contributed to social justice objectives around the world. A particular focus will be on the role and capacity of women to respond to rural development challenges. Presenters include the following:

  • David Norman, vice president of Enterprise & Agriculture at Winrock International
  • Annett Pagan, director of U.S. Programs at Winrock International
  • Vicki Walker, program officer at Winrock International
     

SATURDAY, MAY 1

WR: The Rockefeller Brand on Racial and Social Justice for Arkansas
Presented by Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
10:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Show Barn Hall

This year’s panel discussion focuses on the influence and contributions Winthrop Rockefeller made to improve race relations and the overall quality of life for all social classes in Arkansas. Panelists include the following:

  • The Honorable Robert Brown, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice
  • Dorothy Stuck, journalist and friend of Governor Rockefeller
  • William “Sonny” Walker, Ph.D., former director of the Arkansas Office of Economic Opportunity under Rockefeller, serving as the first black Cabinet member appointed in a Southern state
  • Todd Shields, Ph.D. (moderator), professor of political science and director of the Diane D. Blair Center for Southern Politics and Society at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville


Buffet Lunch
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
River Rock Grill


Conversation on Racial Attitudes in Central Arkansas
Presented by University of Arkansas at Little Rock Institute of Government
12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Show Barn Hall

Since 2003, UALR has conducted extensive surveys of black and white residents of Pulaski County, probing views of government, law enforcement, interpersonal relations, education, discrimination and economic opportunity. Presenters will discuss historical trends leading up to the creation of the survey, as well as comparables throughout the six years of the survey.

  • Ruth Craw, director of the Center for Public Collaboration at UALR
  • Siobhan Bartley, Institute of Economic Advancement at UALR


Innovative Ways to Foster Racial Healing and Promote Equity in Arkansas
Presented by Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
1:15 – 3:00 p.m.
Show Barn Hall

This panel discussion features members from organizations that are current Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation grantees. The panelists will discuss their strategies and sustainable solutions for Arkansas in the area of racial equality and healing:

  • Rafael Arciga Garcia, AmeriCorps Promise Fellow at the University of Arkansas
  • Charlotte Lewellen-Williams, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the Center on Community Philanthropy at the Clinton School of Public Service
  • Ruth Shepherd, executive director of Just Communities of Arkansas
  • Sherece West, Ph.D. (moderator), president and CEO of Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation


Winthrop Rockefeller, Race and Reform: The Civil Rights Movement in Arkansas in the 1960s
Presented by the University of Arkansas Press
3:15 – 5:00 p.m.
Show Barn Hall

UA Press authors will discuss their research and publications on the topic of racial and social justice in Arkansas and abroad, with special attention given to Winthrop Rockefeller's work during and after the Central High crisis in 1957. Panelists will include the following:

  • The Honorable Robert Brown, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice
  • Jennifer Jensen-Wallach, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at the University of North Texas
  • John Kirk, Ph.D., Winthrop Rockefeller biographer and professor of history at the University of London (U.K.)
  • Bobby Roberts, Ph.D., executive director of the Central Arkansas Library System
  • Ben Johnson, Ph.D. (moderator), dean of the College of Liberal & Performing Arts at Southern Arkansas University


Dinner Buffet
5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
River Rock Grill


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