In response to the Conway School Board approving policies including bathroom restrictions, people in the U.S. state of Arkansas worked together to organize protests, educate the community, and successfully campaign for new school board members to be elected.
Problems and Purpose
Multiple policies were approved by the Conway School Board that citizens argued violated the equal protection clause under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution [1]. By restricting the bathrooms a transgender person can use [2] and banning books that talk about LGBTQ+ romance [3], the policies pose safety concerns for transgender people as well as restrict gender expression and identity. The purpose of this participatory process was to make opinions heard and ultimately elect school board members that reflect the values of the diverse communities in the area.
Background History and Context
The LGBTQ+ community has made significant progress towards equality, but the community remains oppressed with legal decisions that jeopardize their safety and rights. In 2004, Arkansas enacted a law banning same-sex marriage [4]. This ban stayed in effect until it was struck down in 2014 [4]. Laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation were not introduced in Arkansas until 2016 [4].
In 2016, North Carolina became the first U.S. state to “pass a bill barring transgender people from using bathrooms consistent with their gender identity” [5]. Multiple states including Arkansas followed suit and passed similar legislation to ban transgender students from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity soon after. The history of book bans in the United States can be traced back to the early 1600s, but the most recent wave of bans was sparked in 2020 by the censorship of controversial topics including the LGBTQ+ community and race [6].
Multiple policies were approved by the Conway School Board in 2022 that citizens argued violated the equal protection clause under the Fourteenth Amendment [1]. Restrictions on bathrooms transgender individuals are legally allowed to use [2] and the legal ban on specific books that talk about LGBTQ+ relationships [3], policies pose safety concerns for transgender people as well as restrict gender expression and identity.
Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities
The Faulkner County Coalition for Social Justice (FCCSJ) is a non-partisan, mutual-aid group that supports local initiatives to ensure equity for diverse communities in the county.
Founded in 2016, the coalition was founded to bring together people of different backgrounds including race, religious affiliations, economic status, and sexual orientation to facilitate dialogues to bridge connections and advocate for equity for all Faulkner County residents. The coalition’s initial activities include food donations, joining protests, book clubs to dive into topics like systemic racism, and hosting community potlucks to foster community. [1]
Executive board members are elected after demonstrating that they meet the coalition’s expectations which include a commitment to social justice, writing and oral communication proficiency, and basic computer skills. The president is in charge of coordinating quarterly meetings and is the primary point of contact for the coalition. Additional positions include the secretary and the communications director. The coalition holds quarterly meetings with the general public where the executive board educates the public on upcoming events and issues in the community and how they can get involved.
The FCCSJ is a non-profit organization that relies on dues from active members and donations from the greater community. These funds allow the coalition to host workshops, meal distributions, and supply drives that directly benefit the community. The coalition partners with other organizations including Reinvest in Conway, a citizen-led group that also strives to support marginalized communities in the Faulkner County area.
Participant Recruitment and Selection
The civic engagement processes were organized by the FCCSJ, Reinvest in Conway, and other independent community activists. The FCCSJ, Reinvest in Conway, and other local activists regularly attended the Conway School Board meetings to stay informed on current issues. As the school board passed controversial policies, the general public was encouraged to come to meetings in person or join via livestreams. School board meetings were open to the public but in-person attendance was limited to the venue’s maximum capacity. During the height of citizen involvement for 2022-2023, meetings would often have high public turnout [12]. Two common venues for the meetings were at the Conway Administrative Building and the Conway High School auditorium, where the former can seat approximately 60 and the latter can host 1,502 people.
Additionally, the FCCSJ and Reinvest in Conway also organized protests and walkouts.
The general public was invited to attend through social media announcements and word of mouth advertising. The organizations provided resources for anyone interested in participating, including protest safety advice and contact information in case someone gets detained during the movement. Walkouts are considered a form of demonstration, so the coalition provided similar safety advice for protests to the walkout. All protests and walkouts were open to the public.
Methods and Tools Used
The FCCSJ mainly utilizes social media to connect with the Faulkner County community.
The organization has active Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. The FCCSJ official website is under development, but they plan to provide resources for key social issues and share community events on that platform. Members of the coalition are also involved in multiple sectors of the county, so they also share information through word of mouth.
What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation
Organizations including the “Faulkner County Coalition for Social Justice'' and “Reinvest in Conway'' fostered public participation by hosting protests [7], holding walkouts [8], and educating the public on the house bills that directly impacted their communities on their social media platforms [9]. Furthermore, community members successfully advocated for new school board members to be elected in a historic election for the school board [10].
The FCCSJ holds quarterly meetings throughout the year with the general public and additional meetings for the executive board.
The community played an active role during the Conway School Board meetings. Leaders and concerned citizens alike came prepared with questions, comments, and relevant information regarding the issues at hand. During the October 2022 meeting, protestors were escorted out after disrupting the meeting with their chants following an approved policy vote that restricted what restroom transgender people use. This behavior sparked commotion on both sides of the issue.
The FCCSJ and Reinvest in Conway supported different movements to protest legislation that continued to oppress the LGBTQ+ community in the schools and the greater community.
Students at Conway High School decided to host a walk out in November 2022, and the coalition made sure to share their support for the movement by sharing the issues that sparked the walkout and tips to protest safely for the students on their Facebook page [13]. Students organized a time, left class, and appointed representatives to explain to news outlets that they walked out because of the recent bans of LGBTQ+ books.
Additionally, the coalition and Reinvest in Conway cosponsored “Flash Mobs against SB 43” in January 2023 to protest pending anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Around 200 people gathered at the Arkansas state capitol. Drag performers, transgender people, and many allies participated in performance art to protest the bills that will make those types of performances illegal [14].
People danced in the street and made sure to make their voices heard to their legislators.
The coalition used their social media platforms to inform the public about pressing issues and legislative bills. The communications team shared the specifics of the bills in plain English to make understanding them more accessible to a broader audience. Breakdowns often include the potential impacts of the bill being enacted, how to contact representatives, and additional resources to reference. This knowledge is power because citizens who have a proper understanding allow people to be informed voters.
The FCCSJ not only wants to help the Faulkner County community become informed; the coalition advocates for citizens to be actively involved in the voting process. In 2023, the community had the opportunity to vote for two new Conway School Board members. The FCCSJ made sure to broadcast the upcoming school board election and shared the importance of voting on their social media platforms. These social media posts also included information on where to vote. Though they did not officially endorse any candidate online, the FCCSJ social media proudly congratulated Sheila Franklin and Trey Geier on their successful election onto the board.
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
A significant impact of Faulkner County’s public participation involved electing two new Conway School Board members in May 2023. Organizations like the FCCSJ worked diligently to advocate for new school board members that embody the priorities of their diverse communities. The FCCSJ urged residents to vote and shared resources to get registered to vote and voting locations on their social media. The coalition was not only successful about spreading the word about community issues; they successfully campaigned for new school board members to be appointed. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the combined efforts of the Faulkner County residents who took power into their own hands and voted.
Despite the FCSSJ’s efforts, bills including HB1156 and SB81 passed through the House and Senate, respectively. Although the initiatives did not achieve their intended effect, the coalition was able to educate hundreds of people by spreading the word about legislative bills.
As of December 2023, the FCCSJ is still active. They are continuing to host events, organize supply drives, and inform the public about ways they can promote social justice in their communities.
Analysis and Lessons Learned
The processes FCCSJ implemented could be utilized in the future to continue fostering social justice work among the community as well as continue to keep the general public informed about the laws and regulations directly impacting them [15]. It would be advantageous for the general public to continue reaching out to individuals and news outlets through their social media platforms. An initiative that should be a priority for the organization would be to relaunch their website. Learning about the organization can be difficult for those who do not have social media, so the FCCSJ should make sure to tap into different markets to advertise their work.
See Also
https://participedia.net/method/4601
https://participedia.net/method/4426
https://participedia.net/method/4939
References
- Ulrich, L. (2016, May). Explaining bathroom bills, transgender rights, and equal protection.
- National Constitution Center.
- https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/explaining-bathroom-bills-transgender-rights-and-equal-p rotection
- Act 317 of 2023 (HB1156)
- Act 372 of 2023 (SB 81)
- Hickman, A.F. (2023). LGBTQ+ Movement. Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Central Arkansas Library System. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/gay-and-lesbian-movement-1177/
- Barajas, J. (2023). More States Consider Bills Limiting Which Bathroom Trans People Can Use.
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/more-states-consider-bills-limiting-which-bathroom-tra ns-people-can-use
- Beauchamp, Z. (2022). Why Book Banning is Back.
- https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22914767/book-banning-crt-school-boards-republica ns
- Protests https://participedia.net/method/4426
- Walkouts https://participedia.net/method/4601
- Social media https://participedia.net/method/4939
- Grajeda, A. (2023, May). Conway incumbents unseated in closely watched school board election. Arkansas Advocate.
- https://arkansasadvocate.com/2023/05/09/conway-incumbents-unseated-in-closely-watched- school-board-election/
- Hickman, A.F. (2023). LGBTQ+ Movement. Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Central Arkansas Library System. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/gay-and-lesbian-movement-1177/
- Savage, A. (2022). Conway school gender policies get OK, protesters shown door. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
- https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/oct/12/school-gender-policies-get-ok/
- KATV. (2022, November). Faulkner County Coalition for Social Justice held a student walkout at Conway High school. ABC 7.
- https://katv.com/news/local/faulkner-county-coalition-for-social-justice-held-a-student-walko ut-at-conway-high-school-approved-policies-last-month-transgendered-students-critical-race-t heory-facebook-post-regulations-hotel-stays-teachers-superintendent-no-comment-heather-ke ndrick
- Vrbin, T. (2023, January). Anti-drag legislation passes Arkansas Senate in 26-9 party-line vote. Arkansas Advocate.
- https://arkansasadvocate.com/2023/01/24/anti-drag-bill-passes-arkansas-senate-with-party-li ne-vote-heads-to-house/
- Malone, H. (2023). Faulkner County Impact on the Conway School Board. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K99dW0ufmccoEi5NiwsTy8UPD96bfn8zSVrr282x-zQ/ edit?usp=sharing
Notes
The original submission of this case entry was written by Hannah Malone, a Master of Public Service candidate at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. The views expressed in the current version are those of the authors, editors, or cited sources, and are not necessarily those of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.