Unify Arkansas commission bill draws large public turnout; motion to advance fails for lack of second

Senator Joyce Elliott presented Senate Bill 674, the Unify Arkansas Commission proposal that would establish a temporary, statewide commission to promote truth, healing and transformation through county remembrance projects, official observances and an elective secondary‑school course on shared history. The bill also directs a review process to seek posthumous exoneration of the 122 people convicted after the 1919 Elaine race massacre and proposes statewide observances such as Elaine Remembrance Week.

Co‑authors and witnesses framed the bill as a state‑level convening structure to coordinate work already underway in many counties: Kwame Abdul Bey urged acknowledgment of historical racial violence and described plans for county remembrance projects; Jennifer Lee Haygood spoke of administrative efficiency and the need for state support for grassroots efforts. Historians, descendants of Elaine massacre victims, educators and community organizers testified, frequently referencing the massacre and the absence of that history in Arkansas classrooms.

Testimony included personal and scholarly appeals: a genealogical descendant and founder of the descendants organization described discovering the Elaine history as transformative; academic witnesses presented comparative examples of truth‑and‑reconciliation style bodies in other countries and U.S. states. Several senators asked detailed questions about funding, whether an appropriation accompanies the bill, and how private donations would be managed. Sponsor Elliott said the commission would pursue appropriation in the fiscal session and intends to solicit private funds while working with existing entities such as the Department of Heritage, the Black History Commission and the MLK Commission.

After committee testimony and sponsor closing remarks, a motion to pass SB 674 was made but the motion failed for lack of a second. Members and witnesses said they would continue discussions and work on language and funding models.

What’s next: Sponsor and supporters signaled follow‑up discussions to refine scope, fiscal mechanisms and legal details; the measure did not advance during this session’s committee calendar.