A Better Life for Their Children

A Better Life for Their Children explores the powerful story of the Rosenwald Schools and the communities that built them as pathways to education and opportunity for African Americans in the segregated South. Through striking black-and-white photography and historical narrative, the exhibition highlights how parents, educators, and local leaders came together to create schools that transformed generations.

Beginning in 1912, educator Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee Institute partnered with philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck & Company, to establish a pioneering education program. The initiative supported the construction of more than 5,000 schools, teacher homes, and vocational buildings, for black communities across 15 Southern states, including Arkansas. The local Black community members provided land, labor, and financial support, demonstrating a deep commitment to education as a means of building a better future for their children.

Created by photographer and historian Andrew Feiler, the exhibition features contemporary images of surviving Rosenwald School buildings paired with stories that connect education to broader themes in African American history, including migration, citizenship, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for equity.

During your visit to the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, stop by our permanent gallery to experience an exhibit featuring Arkansas’s Rosenwald Schools.