Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences

Sharon Killian and Jami J. Lockhart - Revealing Fayetteville's Hidden Cultural Landscape

The Pryor Center Presents lecture series continued with Sharon Killian and Dr. Jami J. Lockhart at 6 p.m. Thursday, Mar. 30, as they present "Revealing Fayetteville's Hidden Cultural Landscape" at the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

The program describes current research revealing a remarkable culture of Black survival in 19th and 20th century Northwest Arkansas and the urgency to change this paradigm from one of surviving to thriving in the 21st century. The objective of this multidisciplinary project is to reveal the vital, lived Black experience and contribution to the development and sense of place in Fayetteville. Killian and Lockhart discuss the partnerships and methods being used to fill gaps in the knowledge of African American history in Northwest Arkansas.

Killian is an award-winning artist, community advocate, and educator. She is passionate about filling in and correcting the historical record of Black history and heritage in Northwest Arkansas where she visited for 14 years before relocating in 2005 as an "empty nester." Killian understands that Black history and heritage in the region has suffered the system of erasure immediately set into place in 1865, that it is challenging work to undo or mitigate, and that it must be done by everyone with diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind. Her work as president of both NWA African American Heritage Association and Art Ventures NWA melds culture with art and promotes culturally and historically informed conversation and creative engagement locally, regionally, and nationally.

Lockhart directs geophysical remote sensing and geographic information systems research for the Arkansas Archeological Survey. He serves as research faculty in the UA Department of Anthropology and cooperating faculty for the Environmental Dynamics Ph.D. program. His work integrates geophysical remote sensing, high-accuracy mapping, aerial photo interpretation, image processing, LiDAR analysis, and GIS data development for archeological projects and cultural landscape studies through time.