Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

February 15, 1963

Federal Judge J. Smith Henley ruled in favor of the Council on Community Affairs (COCA) desegregation lawsuit. The ruling ordered an end to racial segregation in all public facilities in Little Rock (Pulaski County), except for public swimming pools, which COCA did not specifically mention in the suit. COCA was an African American civil rights leadership group that grew out of a need to provide coordinated black leadership in the city after the 1957 Central High School desegregation crisis.

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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New to Arkansas?

Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!

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