Rock Van Winkle: Black Builder of Northwest Arkansas
Documentary Watch Party and Panel Discussion
Thursday, September 10
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Bentonville Public Library
Walmart Foundation Community RoomAn evening with filmmaker, Justin Stewart and special guests
Please join us for an incredible evening learning about the life and work of Rock Van Winkle, an emancipated slave that rose to become a frontier industrialist in Northwest Arkansas. In an a moving documentary about Rock Van Winkle, renowned filmmaker, Justin Stewart brings to life the story of a man who carved his legacy into the foundations of a growing frontier, only for history to forget his name. Once enslaved Aaron "Rock" Van Winkle stepped into freedom at a time when opportunity was scarce and the odds were unforgiving. Yet through grit, ingenuity, and unyielding resolve, he rose to become one of Northwest Arkansas' earliest Black industrialists. This documentary paints a portrait of a region in transformation and the overlooked figure who helped build it. Drawing on newly uncovered records and a striking connection to one the University of Arkansas' most cherished landmarks, the film reveals how deeply Rock's contributions are woven into the fabric of the region.
Both sweeping and intimate, this story confronts the silence of historical record. It invites viewers to question how a man so integral to the shaping of a community could vanish from its collective memory and what it means to finally bring his story into the light.
After the watch party, Mr. Stewart will be joined by Jerry Moore, Historian/Author/Sociologist and Dr. Christopher Huggard, Professor of History, Northwest Arkansas Community College for a panel discussion further examining Mr. Van Winkle's impact on our region.
In collaboration with our friends at the Bentonville History Museum. and For the HeARTists NWA.
Bentonville Public Library
Bentonville Public Library is a department of the City of Bentonville. Bentonville Public Library is located just 3 blocks south of the Downtown Square, at 405 S. Main Street in Bentonville, Arkansas. Facility amenities include adult collection, children's and teen spaces, private study rooms, event spaces, makerspace and digital lab, genealogy research center, sensory and wellness room, business centers, book club lounge, and café.