Mosaic Templars Cultural Center By Stephani Franklin The purpose of this paper is to write about a visit to a historic site

in the state of Arkansas. I selected the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, in Little Rock, for my visit. One of the main reasons I selected this particular historic site is because I had never heard of the Mosaic Templars prior to taking this class, and secondly I had previously visited most of the other sites that were recommended. There are a few brief references to the Mosaic Templars, in our text (Dougan, p.316, p.320, p.356), but not much about the organization and/or their headquarters on 9th street. This is presumably because the building housing the temple was scheduled for demolition in 1993 (the same year our text was published). In the years prior, it was being used for commercial businesses or sat vacant. Businesses on 9th street thrived in the 1920s but became victims of the great depression era of the 1930s. So who and/or what are the Mosaic Templars and why should anyone take the time to visit the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock, Arkansas? The Mosaic Templars fraternal organization was founded by two former slaves, John E. Bush (1856-1916) and Chester W. Keatts (1854-1908), in 1883, to provide basic services to African Americans. A plaque on the wall of the cultural center states: Between 1865 and 1885, African Americans experienced a time of great optimism and economic opportunity. Black Americans exercised their new freedom and sought to acquire property and economic independence. The Mosaic Templars and other black fraternal organizations became increasing popular in the 1890s as providers of mutual aid, insurance policies, and self-help programs. Segregation divided blacks and whites in

death and life. Segregated cemeteries ensured separation of the dead as well as the loved ones they left behind. White-owned insurance organization, generally, did not offer burial insurance policies to African Americans in the South, forcing many blacks to beg for funds to bury their deceased family members. The Mosaic Templars sought to provide aid to the sick and offer burial and funeral insurance (Mosaic Templars Cultural Center). At its peak in the 1920s, the Mosaic Templars organization had an estimated membership of over 100,000 members and had chapters in twenty-six states, the Caribbean, and South and Central America. Headquartered in Little Rock throughout its existence, the Mosaic Templars of America (MTA) exemplified a successful black-owned business enterprise. It expanded its holdings to include the Mosaic National Building and Loan Association, the Mosaic State Hospital (which also supported a nursing school), and the Mosaic Guide (originally American Guide) newspaper (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net). Mosaic Templar co-founder, John E. Bush, was originally born in Tennessee, but his family was forced to move to Arkansas by their owner. After the civil war, he rose from poverty to become one of the wealthiest and most prominent African Americans in the state. He was also a chairman for the Republican party (http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/ ). I was not able to find anything in our text about co-founder, Chester W. Keatts, but the information I obtained from the cultural center states that Keatts took a position with the Railway Mail Service as a clerk, a position he held for 17 years and like Bush, he was also active in politics. He was appointed United States Deputy Marshal for the Eastern District of Arkansas

in 1876 and later he was appointed as messenger and crier in the United States Court of Appeals (Mosaic Templars Cultural Center). As a side note, I did find a site online that indicated Keatts was a share-cropper for most of his earlier years (http://oaklandfraternal.org/). The Mosaic Templars of America emblem, found on the headstones and the pediment of the National Grand Temple, is notable for its ritual and religious symbolism. An ouroboros (snake eating its tail), representing the cyclical nature of life, surrounds the emblem. The crossing shepherd staffs and the snakes are references to Moses and the Exodus story. The 3 Vs represent John E. Bushs triumphant motto, adopted from Julius Ceasar, Veni, Vidi, Veci. (Mosaic Templars Cultural Center). To pay for the land and construction of the original Mosaic Templars of America National Grand Temple, members adopted a measure to levy an annual 20-cent tax per member. Initiation to become a Mosaic Templar member consisted of going through a series of eight secret ceremonies that were primarily based on the story of Moses (www.azcentral.com). Due in part to its success, the Mosaic Templars organization erected a building in the early 1900s to house the administrative offices and to serve as a multi-purpose meeting facility. The building was also home to local retail businesses (first and second levels) and a third floor auditorium (for the use of African Americans) upon its completion. To the left is

www.arblackhistoryonline.com

a picture of the building in its original form ( Mosaic Templars of America National Grand Temple, c
1915):

Like many other businesses, the Mosaic Templars of America were not able to survive the depression era economy. As I mentioned previously, the building became home to a few retail businesses or sat vacant prior to its 1993 scheduled demolition. However, the Arkansas Historic Preservation committee was able to get it registered as a historic site and began planning for its renovation. Unfortunately, due to homeless individuals using it as a shelter, the original building burned to the ground in March 16th, 2005. A new building was constructed and opened to the public in September 2008. As you can see the new model looks very much like the original. All was not lost as you will notice upon entry into the newly constructed Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. The granite pediment and a cornerstone were recovered from the fire and are on display right up front. A security guard was kind enough to point out to me that when the cornerstone was removed from the fire damaged building, it was discovered that there were some letters hidden is a secret compartment of the cornerstone. The original letters are on display at the center. They include a typed letter about the history of the Mosaic Templars of America, an official record of the officers present during the cornerstone laying, a letter from the architect that designed the building, and a letter from the construction company that built the

building. These artifacts are just the beginning of whats in store for the tour of the cultural center. There are several exhibits throughout, some are permanent and some temporary. The art gallery currently contains information about the life and works African American sculptor/artist Isaac Scott Hathaway. Mr. Hathaway sculpted life and death masks and also created busts for several prominent whites and blacks. He moved from Kentucky, in 1915, to teach ceramics at Branch Normal College in Pine Bluff. There are several of his masks and busts on display currently. Another interesting fact about Mr. Hathaway is that he was the first African American to design a coin for the U.S. Mint in 1945. There are plaster models on display. The next exhibit I took a look at was the temporary one called Timbuktu, A Journey through West Africa. This is an interactive exhibit where adults and children can take a walk around town and find out interesting facts about daily life in Timbuktu. There is even a hut where you can put on a costume and play drums while listening to local music (Djembe School of Dance). You can explore your smelling sense at one of the other stops, where you lift up a lid and try to guess what it is you are taking a whiff of. Best I could tell was that it was possibly Cinnamon? I believe this installment will be around until June and it was very informative about the place I thought was merely a phrase that people said when they were going to travel someplace far away. At the heart of the cultural center, on the first level, are the permanent exhibits that represent and replicate a historical timeline for African Americans in Arkansas History. They are titled, A Building for the Community, A City Within a City, Brotherhood and the Bottom Line, Entrepreneurial Spirit, and African Americans in Arkansas. Within each

exhibit there are combinations of memorabilia, photographs and some partial scale models of actual establishments such as a medicine store, a barber shop and the office of the Mosaic Templars in its original configuration (Attachments A C). There are also some painful reminders of what life was like for men, women and children of color in the South during the time of slavery and segregation. On one of the walls, there are dots on a map of southern states that represent lynching that occurred (Attachment D) during the time period1882 - 1930. Youll notice, unfortunately, there are many dots on this map. Additionally, there are two blocks on display that simply state White on one and Colored on the other. These blocks were found in the basement of a building on 611 Main Street and they once were part of a wall, above water fountains, during the time of segregation in Arkansas. There are three small screen, interactive maps and an audio slide show (Attachment E) in the A City Within a City exhibit. The interactive map was highly informative as you could click on a city block on the map and it would drill down into the residential and retail businesses that were located on or around 9th street through the years (Attachments F & G), some pictures of celebrities and building schematics are also included. I had no idea 9th street was the hub of Little Rock back in the day! There is a lot more information to be found within the remaining exhibits, too much for the purposes of this paper. I highly recommend the cultural center as a must do on the places

to visit within our state. If you live in or around Little Rock, theres really no excuse not to go by there. The admission is free and the museum is open Tuesday Saturday (9 a.m. 5 p.m.). In addition to the exhibits, meeting space and museum store on the first floor, the second floor houses the Bush Remmel Genealogy Resource Center (by appointment only), and the third floor has an auditorium and the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. There appeared to be some individuals rehearsing for a play when I went by the museum. Lastly, I also noticed that throughout the cultural center there is art on display from current, local African American artists. In conclusion I have discussed the history of the Mosaic Templars of America as an introduction to my visit to a historic site in Arkansas. I have also provided information about the current and permanent exhibits available at the cultural center. I hope that others will go by and reflect on the heritage of African Americans in our state. A calendar of events and current and future exhibits can be found on the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center website. By the way, cameras are allowed, but you cant use a flash! I was the only visitor the day that I went so I was able to take a lot of pictures without anyone getting in the way.

Attachment A

Attachment B

Attachement C

Attachment D

Attachment E

Attachment F

Attachment G

References Arkansas African American History - African American Heritage Tours - Mosaic Templars. (n.d.). Arkansas African American History - African American Heritage Tours - Mosaic Templars. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://www.mosaictemplarscenter.com Black fraternal society rediscovered in Barbados. (n.d.). Arizona Local News - Phoenix Arizona News - Phoenix Breaking News - azcentral.com. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2008/09/20/20080920templarsON.html#ixzz1t6kVqTBl

Dougan, M. B. (1994). Arkansas odyssey: the saga of Arkansas from prehistoric times to present : a history. Little Rock, Ark.: Rose Pub. Co.. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_templars Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Blog: October 2010. (n.d.). Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Blog. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://www.arblackhistoryonline.com/2010_10_01_archive.html Oakland-Fraternal . (n.d.). Oakland-Fraternal . Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://oaklandfraternal.org/Tour37.html The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. (n.d.). The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net