Editor’s Note: This is part two of a four-part series.
NORTH LITTLEROCK, AR — In later years, Scipio Africanus Jones continued his law practice and periodically collaborated with the NAACP in other cases. In doing so, he worked with the future Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.
S. A. Jones was very dedicated to the local Little Rock community. He was a devout member of Bethel AME Church and a staunch supporter of the Mosaic Templars.
The Mosaic Templars was a fraternal organization in Little Rock that was started in the late nineteenth century by former slaves. The organization consisted of several divisions including, but not limited to, an insurance company and a financial institution. The book History of the Mosaic Templars of America, edited by A. E. Bush and A. L. Dorman, reveals that Scipio Jones became a very active member of the organization in the early twentieth century. “He served as the Templars chief legal counsel, holding the title of National Attorney General.” After the organization’s old building burned, a new building was built on the same site at Ninth and Broadway. Opening in 2009, the building now houses the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, highlighting and promoting African-American history. It is operated by the Department of Arkansas Heritage.
After Jones filled in for an absent judge in a case involving all African-Americans, many people thereafter affectionately referred to him as “Judge.” Because of his work within the law and the dedication to his people, Jones was highly respected by Blacks and whites. On March 31, 1943, at Bethel AME Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, many whites attended Jones’ funeral to show their last respects. An exclusive section of the church was reserved for this highly welcomed group of citizens. S. A. Jones was buried in the historic Haven of Rest Cemetery in Little Rock.
Decades after his death, he continues to receive accolades. The U. S. Post Office branch located at 17th and Main Streets in Little Rock now bears his name. In North Little Rock, a stretch of East Ninth Street, which is one block south of the street where Scipio A. Jones High School was once located, was renamed S. A. Jones Drive.
In the book On the Laps of Gods, written by Robert Whitaker, Cornel West, an African-American philosopher and Civil Rights activist, called Jones, “a man whose name surely deserves to be known by all Americans.”
Scipio – The School
Prior to the 1960’s, African-Americans were limited to attending all Black schools in all Black communities. These institutions, paired with the church, were the center of the social and cultural life for Blacks. It was in these schools and churches that educators provided an adequate education with inferior equipment and supplies to tens of thousands of deprived American citizens.
From the darkness of night, the light of a new day: Scipio Africanus Jones
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