Civil Rights

In 1970, Arkansas could have easily reverted to the politics of race-baiting and the old-guard conservatism. However, Bumpers' election and sustained popularity garnered support for politics of racial moderation.

In his inaugural address on January 12, 1971, Bumpers pledged to confront the state's problems and promised that his administration would not waste the "new awakening of Arkansas's people." The governor wanted to prove to the nation that Arkansas was turning its back on its segregationist past - he had an obligation to address the problems of all state citizens regardless of color.

Governor Bumpers' fight against racial prejudices and intolerance began long before he was elected governor. As a young attorney in Charleston, Arkansas, he convinced the local school board to desegregate after the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation decision. Charleston, along with nearby Fayetteville, were the only two school districts in a former confederate state to comply with the Brown decision within a year.  Bumpers encouraged people to work within the framework of the political system to repeal oppressive laws.

Materials found in series I, sub-series I, box 38 provide a useful starting point for researchers interested in issues related to civil rights during Governor Bumpers' administration. As governor, Bumpers' attempts to hire more African Americans in state government and to provide additional economic opportunities outside of state government resulted in the an executive order to create a central personnel agency. The agency assisted state government in the recruitment of employees and to ensure implementation of the state's affirmative action program. Other issues related to civil rights in the collection include busing and health care, most notably the Lee County Cooperative Medical Clinic at Marianna, Arkansas.