Nov. 5, 2025
Arkansas PBS, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center partner for free ‘Great Migrations’ screening event Nov. 13
CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas PBS) — Arkansas PBS, in collaboration with the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, will present a free screening of “Great Migrations: A People on the Move,” a four-part docuseries from Emmy-nominated executive producer, host and writer Henry Louis Gates Jr., on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 5:30 p.m., at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock.
The screening will be part of MTCC’s ongoing exhibition, “Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See,” which explores the life of Emmett Till and the extraordinary courage of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. As part of this program, MTCC and Arkansas PBS will present “The Last Train South,” a special evening event connecting the Great Migration to Emmett Till’s legacy and the 1957 Little Rock Central High School Crisis.
The event will include a screening of highlights from “Great Migrations: A People on the Move,” followed by dinner and a panel discussion, offering attendees a space for reflection, dialogue and community engagement.
ABOUT THE FILM
“Great Migrations: A People on the Move” tells the story of African American movement over the 20th and 21st centuries, and how it has shaped our nation by exploring the meaning behind those movements.
Human beings have always moved en masse. Since the beginning of human existence, movement has defined how we evolved and created identities, communities and nation-states.
Migration is not unique to any single ethnicity or group, but it is a deeply profound aspect of the modern African American experience simply because Black people were denied movement for so long. Theirs was a forced migration from Africa, followed by centuries of enslavement that kept them in place. In being denied movement, they were denied their humanity.
After emancipation, the migratory spirit took hold in this new space of freedom, and many African Americans uprooted themselves from all that was familiar to move to northern cities (sometimes stopping first in southern cities) to build entirely new lives – a decision that dramatically changed the fabric of American culture and society. It was an epic migration of people that began in the late 19th century, when it was clear that the early promises of Reconstruction would not be fulfilled and accelerated as the century progressed. Underlying this courageous act was the abiding belief in American opportunity, as well as a belief in their own capacity to better their lives and the lives of their children. In some ways, it has never really ended.
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC)
The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is a nationally-accredited, world-class Department of Arkansas Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and celebrate African American history, culture and community in Arkansas from 1870 to the present and to inform and educate the public about Black achievements, especially in business, politics and the arts.
About Arkansas PBS
Arkansas PBS, Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, empowers learners of all ages by educating, informing, entertaining and inspiring communities. Arkansas PBS serves as a daily and essential resource for Arkansans by creating, sharing, celebrating and driving conversation around Arkansas stories and classic, trusted PBS programs through multiple digital platforms, including livestreaming at myarpbs.org/live, on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), KETZ (El Dorado), KETS (Lee Mountain), KETS (Forrest City), KETS (Yancy) and KETS (Gaither).
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