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Meet a Grantee

Center For Artistic Revolution, North Little Rock, Arkansas

Combating a Racist, Homophobic Landscape in Arkansas

In November 2008, Arkansas voters passed a law banning unmarried couples from adopting children. Arkansas has no civil rights office, nor does it have hate crime laws of any kind. What it does have—much to the chagrin of a racist and homophobic majority—is the Center for Artistic Revolution (North Little Rock, Arkansas). With a focus on LGBTQI rights, CAR helps remarkably divergent communities find common ground and forge collaborations. Best known for waging a three-year campaign that helped force Arkansas State to retire their offensive (“Indian family”) sports mascot, CAR is mobilizing to secure a state moratorium on the death penalty, and working to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. With one full-time staff member, they publish the state’s only LGBTQI publication—a lifeline to many living in evangelical and rural areas. CAR is a founding member of Arkansas Families First, which is documenting how Act One is affecting alternative families and the more than 1,000 children languishing in foster care. www.artisticrevolution.org

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