The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center: A Museum of African American History is proud to announce the opening of its newest exhibit, "The Arc of Justice: The Life & Legacy of S.A. Jones," on Thursday, February 16 at 5:30 p.m.

The exhibit will explore the life of Scipio Africanus Jones, a prominent lawyer in Little Rock during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

S.A. Jones was born to an enslaved woman, Jemmima Jones, in 1863 near Tulip in Dallas County. Jones completed his primary education around Tulip, but later graduated from Walden Seminary (now Philander Smith College) and Bethel Institute (now Shorter College). He studied law and taught public school for four years, after which his credentials were accepted by the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1900 and the U.S. Supreme Court in 1905.

Jones remained in Little Rock and practiced law throughout the rest of his life. His most significant case came in 1919, when he was hired by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to defend 12 Black men sentenced to death in what has come to be known as the Elaine Massacre. By 1925, all 12 of the defendants had been released. Jones worked throughout his life to end racial violence and work for equality until his death in 1943. (Source: Encyclopedia of Arkansas)

“The Arc of Justice: The Life and Legacy of S.A. Jones” will focus on Jones’ extraordinary work both in and out of the courtroom and will provide guests a comprehensive look at his incredible accomplishments for justice.