Judge Wendell Griffen
Join Judge Wendell Griffen on Thursday, June 18th for a conversation on where we are and where we need to go as a county, state, and nation.
Judge Griffen is a highly respected figure in the realm of social justice. With a diverse background in law, theology, and activism, he has dedicated his life to standing up for the rights of the oppressed and challenging established norms.
About our Monthly Series
Our monthly speaker series brings newsmakers, writers and politicians together for a behind-the-scenes look at important current events and trends in Arkansas. These lectures are raising money for the Arkansas Times Investigative Journalism Project. Thousands of reporters are being laid off nationwide. But the Times is growing, thanks to reader support from you and other Arkansans. With Sarah Sanders in the governor’s mansion and MAGA Republicans running the legislature, there has never been a greater need for journalistic scrutiny.
In-person tickets are $100 and include lunch in the private dining room at the Copper Grill in Little Rock. Seating is limited to 75. Our previous luncheons have sold out, so please don’t wait to buy your tickets once an event has been announced. Doors always open at 11:30, and the Copper Grill buffet opens immediately after. We will wrap up by 1 p.m. We are also now offering virtual tickets for this series, and attendees will log on via Zoom. Hope to see you there!
Previous Lecture Speakers
Bill Kopsky
Defending Democracy and Public Education
A conversation with Bill Kopsky on defending democracy and public education. Read about his lecture here.
Senator Bryan King
The Sorry State of Arkansas Politics | May 7th, 2026
Senator Bryan King on the state of Arkansas politics today and a recap of the fiscal session. Senator Bryan B. King is a longtime Arkansas state legislator who has served in both the House and Senate, representing a rural Northwest Arkansas district and focusing on state-level issues like education, budgeting, and government policy. King, a Republican, has had a notable and sometimes tense relationship with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders despite being in the same party. King has positioned himself as an independent-minded conservative and has publicly questioned aspects of Sanders’ administration, particularly around transparency and the use of state funds.
Clarke Tucker
Primary Results & Upcoming Impact | April 7, 2026
Senator Clarke Tucker discusses the results of the primary elections, the implications for the legislature, and a preview of the fiscal session. Senator Tucker served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. He was elected into the senate, November of 2020, where he currently represents District 14.
John DiPippa
One Year into Trump 2.0 | March 17, 2026
John DiPippa speaks on the dynamics at the intersection of law and executive power in today’s political landscape–and the effects we could potential face from President Trump’s influence as we approach the halfway mark of his second term. His extensive legal career provided significant contributions to legal education and practice, particularly in constitutional law, legal ethics, and first amendment law. Even in his retirement, he’s remained a significant voice in national legal discussions.
Chris Jones
AI: To Innovate or Annihilate? | February 26, 2026
Dr. Chris Jones, a nuclear engineer and AI expert who has organized international AI conferences, breaks down the risks, the possibilities, and the real choices communities still have to shape this technology. His conversation centers on why the future is not fixed and how people can still help decide what comes next.
Nate Bell
2026 and Lame Duck MAGA | January 22, 2026
Nate Bell discusses how Trump’s declining popularity and his policies are affecting Arkansas politics in 2026 and beyond. Prior to joining Armagh Capital, Bell consulted on agricultural, commercial and industrial solar projects while also providing strategy and campaign services for clients in multiple states. Bell served in the Arkansas House from 2011–2017.
Hallie Shoffner
The Agriculture Crisis | December 11, 2025
Hallie Shoffner speaks about the ongoing agriculture crisis and its lasting impact on Arkansas farmers and the industry at large. A sixth-generation row crop farmer who lost her family farm due to current economic conditions, Hallie brings a deeply personal perspective to the challenges facing our agricultural communities. Her insight into how this crisis is reshaping livelihoods and the future of farming in Arkansas is both urgent and invaluable.
Skip Rutherford
Previewing the 2026 Elections | November 20, 2025
Skip Rutherford, the founder of the Political Animals Club, takes a look at some key local, state and national campaigns, what happened in 2025, and what history tells us about mid-terms. Skip’s unique perspective draws on years of experience and past election seminars at the Clinton School, offering an in-depth look at both the national outcome and its implications for Arkansas.
Baker Kurrus
The Arkansas LEARNS Act | October 23, 2025
With his wealth of experience in public education, Kurrus is the state’s most articulate critic of the governor’s Arkansas LEARNS Act. He passionately argues that the figures don’t add up and the state is headed towards an irreversible dismantling of our public schools statewide.
Adrienne Elrod
The Current Political Environment | September 25, 2025
Adrienne Elrod having a timely discussion on the current political environment. As someone who has served at the highest levels on the past three presidential campaigns, Adrienne Elrod is uniquely positioned to provide expert analysis on the current political environment, President Trump’s grip on the GOP, and how Democrats will rebuild, rebrand, and chart a path forward.
General Wesley Clark
Global Security and The War in Ukraine | August 18, 2025
General Wesley Clark on global security and the war in Ukraine, exploring why the outcome of this conflict matters not just for Europe, but for the future of democracy and U.S. leadership on the world stage. Drawing on his decades of military and diplomatic experience, General Clark offers insight into the strategic stakes, potential consequences, and what must be done to uphold international order.
Alan Elrod
Nationalism in the Heartland and this ‘Moment of Complete Change’ | July 24, 2025
Alan Elrod speaks on nationalism and democracy. Based in Arkansas, he’s the founder and CEO of The Pulaski Institution, a public intellectual, and writer, with his work appearing in multiple, accredited publications including Foreign Policy Magazine, The Bulwark, MSNBC, and Liberal Currents.
Mireya Reith
Will ICE be coming for Arkansas immigrant families and workers | June 27, 2025
Mireya Reith touches on how Arkansas’s immigrant community is mobilizing in the face of threats from Trump, Stephen Miller and ICE. Mireya is the founding executive director of Arkansas United, Arkansas’s leading immigrant rights organization.
Alan Leveritt
Hiding Our History: Why Is The Governor So Afraid of Critical Race Theory? | May 29, 2025
Forget grad school, we should be teaching critical race theory in 8th Grade Arkansas history. Now.
Alan Leveritt, our founding Publisher here at the Arkansas Times, rips the governor and the legislature for their attempts to obscure and rewrite Arkansas’s racial history.
John DiPippa
How Trump Plans to Create a Legal Dictatorship | April 17, 2025
Esteemed legal scholar John DiPippa discusses the potential legal maneuvers that could enable a shift toward autocratic governance under President Trump’s influence, focusing on the changes and challenges facing the constitutional limits of the U.S. presidency and its effects on citizens everywhere, from the U.S. Capitol to the Natural State. John is the Dean Emeritus of the Bowen School of Law as well as a distinguished Professor of law and public policy.
Benjamin Hardy
What This Legislative Session Tells Us About the New GOP in the Age of Trump In Arkansas | March 27, 2025
Our Managing Editor and Chief Legislative Reporter, Benji Hardy, has an inclusive discussion on the 2025 legislative session. As Arkansas leads what Governor Sarah Sanders calls “the vanguard of a national conservative revolution,” this talk will dissect the legislative impacts and political undertones resonating from Little Rock to Washington D.C.
Frederick McKindra
Memory Loss and the Black Community In Little Rock | February 27, 2025
Frederick shares his thoughts and reflections on the racial impact on our public schools as Little Rock continues to struggle from our Southern legacy. Frederick is a fiction writer, essayist, editor at Oxford American, a journalist at Arkansas Times, the former president of Central High School– and one of the city’s most astute intellects.
Sen. Clarke Tucker
What’s Coming at the Capitol?
A Legislative Preview with Senator Clarke Tucker | January 7, 2025
Arkansas State Senator Clarke Tucker—one of the state’s most respected Democratic legislators, with a background of deep policy knowledge and bipartisan approach gives his personal perspective on the upcoming session of the Arkansas legislature and what we can expect to see on the horizon at the Capitol.
Skip Rutherford
What Happened and What Happens Next? Post-Election Analysis | November 22, 2024
Join Skip Rutherford for a deep dive into the 2024 election aftermath. With the results settled, Skip will unpack the key events, strategies, and shifts that defined this historic race.
One of Arkansas’s most knowledgeable political animals, Skip takes us through the issues, demographics, and post election shenanigans, helping us understand one of the most significant elections in our history.
Dr. Jermall Wright
The State of the Little Rock School District | October 31, 2024
Dr. Wright, the Superintendent for the Little Rock School District, discusses the response to the LEARNS Act and it’s effect on our public school education, sharing his insights to current issues our state currently faces.
Marcus Jones
The Future of Arkansas’ Second District | September 17, 2024
Marcus Jones, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in Arkansas’ Second District (AR-02), will discuss his campaign, the critical issues facing Arkansas and what he thinks it will take to beat incumbent French Hill in the upcoming election.
With nearly three decades of military service and a deep commitment to his community, Marcus brings a unique perspective to the race. Marcus has dedicated his life to public service and is now running to continue that commitment by fighting for Central Arkansans in Congress.
Skip Rutherford
Inside This Unprecedented 2024 Presidential Election | August 27, 2024
Skip Rutherford, Dean Emeritus of the Clinton School of Public Service and founder of the non-partisan Political Animals Club, will speak on the 2024 presidential election, along with a look at some of the most interesting Arkansas races.
Coming just days after the end of the Democratic Convention, Skip will share his insights into what we might expect during the intervening weeks leading up to Nov. 5.
Joyce Elliott
The History of Voter Suppression in Arkansas | June 28, 2024
Are you fed up with the hypocrisies of the Sanders’s administration and her fellow right wing Republican zealots trying to turn back the clock on the progress Arkansans have made in race relations over the past 70 years? Join us June 28 to hear former Senator Joyce Elliott, executive director of Get Loud Arkansas, give a rousing talk on her efforts to register voters across the state as she speaks about the History of Voter Suppression in Arkansas as part of the Arkansas Times monthly lecture series.
Matt Campbell
The Blue Hog Report | May 30, 2024
In the 14 years since he started Blue Hog Report, Campbell has caused a governor to be audited over her spending of state funds, prompted a lieutenant governor to resign after illegally using campaign funds for gas money, led to a judge losing his law license and serving prison time, and resulted in a superintendent resigning and losing his doctorate degree. He’ll share these stories and others, explaining how he utilized public records and other publicly available information to uncover them.
Max Brantley
The Lost Cause: The Demise of Politics and Journalism | April 24, 2024
Max Brantley, keyboard warrior, lefty provocateur and former editor in chief of the Arkansas Times will hold forth on “The Lost Cause: The Demise of Politics and Journalism During My 50 Years in Arkansas”, Wednesday, April 24 at the Copper Grill. Doors open and lunch begins at 11:30 a.m.
Max is about as subtle as a freight train when it comes to describing Arkansas politicians and their conceits. He spent 25 years at the old Arkansas Gazette before joining the Times in 1991 as editor. Max invented the Arkansas Blog and over the next 30 years became the voice of the blue community in Arkansas. The hypocrisy, cruelty, grift, and greed that has so long characterized much of Arkansas politics was and is on full display in the Arkansas Blog. He is the most loved and hated journalist in the state, depending on who you talk to.
Nate Bell
“Why I Left the Republican Party” | March 21, 2024
Nate is known for his aggressive, take-no-prisoners brand of conservative political advocacy. However, he will tell you that today’s Republican Party has left him and countless others behind as the GOP has wandered into the MAGA political desert.
Lauren Cowles & Rev. Henry-McKeever
Arkansas Abortion Amendment | February 28, 2024
Cowles is a seasoned policy drafter at the federal level and has brought her talents home to help solidify abortion rights in her home state. As part of Arkansans for Limited Government, Cowles works alongside healthcare providers, faith leaders, and impacted women and families to restore safe, legal abortion in Arkansas. She will give insight into how the Arkansas Abortion Amendment language was crafted, including how the amendment provides meaningful abortion access while accounting for Arkansas’ complicated political landscape.
Cowles will be joined by The Rev. Elizabeth Henry-McKeever, who serves the rector (pastor) of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock. Rev. Henry-McKeever will provide perspective from the faith community, discussing morality of these sensitive issues.
David Couch
FOIA in Arkansas | February 1, 2024
Couch was instrumental in crafting the successful Medical Marijuana ballot initiative and is now bringing his considerable talents to bear on the FOIA. Well known conservatives such as Nate Bell and Rob Steinbuch have joined with Couch, liberal activists and journalists in response to the governor’s efforts to kneecap the FOI Act in the last legislative session. Couch will give you insight into how this fascinatingly diverse coalition is working together to get an initiated act on the November ballot to put Arkansas’s best in the nation FOIA into the Arkansas constitution.
Baker Kurrus
LEARNS: The Ugly Truth | November 29, 2023
Care to hear someone who really knows what they are talking about when it comes to Arkansas LEARNS? You’re invited to have lunch then, with Baker Kurrus, Arkansas Times education columnist, attorney, and former superintendent of the Little Rock School District.
Baker Kurrus, with his wealth of experience in public education, is the state’s most articulate critic of the governor’s Arkansas LEARNS Act. Kurrus passionately argues that the figures don’t add up and the state is headed towards an irreversible dismantling of our public schools statewide.
