Quantia “Key” Fletcher, executive director of Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock, has been making a difference in Arkansas for almost two decades by working to ensure history is preserved and championing the layered past of the Natural State.
Originally from New Orleans, Fletcher moved to Arkansas after her hometown was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. While the state was somewhat unfamiliar to Fletcher, her stepfather had family in Blytheville, and after he and her mother moved to the Natural State, Fletcher soon became an Arkansan, as well.
After moving to Little Rock, Fletcher began working with the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, which was celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School. This made for not only a busy year for Fletcher, but as she puts it, an extremely important and humbling one, as well.
“Most people wouldn’t guess that I’m not originally from Arkansas because I have found myself so passionate about Arkansas history and culture,” Fletcher said. “Little Rock in particular has so much to celebrate, as it is a diaspora of culture and activity. There is always something to do. There’s amazing food and so many free things to experience, such as the museums.”
After her time spent at the Central High site, Fletcher fell in love with the dedication and mission of MTCC and began her career with the center before its 2008 opening. She has held several different positions within MTCC and currently serves as the executive director. Prior to holding her current title, Fletcher also served as associate director and education director.
However, Fletcher did not always know that she would work in preserving history and, when she was younger, was determined to be a broadcast journalist. After graduating from Northwestern State University in Louisiana with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and experiencing her first internship, Fletcher was no longer convinced a career in media was something she really wanted.
The gym, a place where Fletcher has long found solace, was the unexpected place that brought her to the path she’s currently on.
“A woman approached me in the gym with a job offer. It was not something I was expecting, and it was confusing, but she explained that she saw me at the gym every morning, and that anyone with that kind of consistency and determination would be an amazing hire,” Fletcher said.
This experience led Fletcher to work in public relations and marketing at the National Park Service in Louisiana, where she ultimately worked for her first historic site, a plantation.
Fletcher has made herself right at home in Arkansas.
“It was such a humbling experience, and I learned so much about the rich history of Louisiana. It wasn’t just about the history of the people who owned the property, but also about the enslaved community that once occupied the space,” Fletcher said.
Because it was her introduction to historic preservation, it was also an introduction into what would become her life’s passion. Fletcher earned her master’s degree in folk life and southern culture at Northwestern State University and has continued her efforts of making history visible since.
As a passionate storyteller of communities past and present, Fletcher said she considers herself both lucky and blessed to have been introduced to her current line of work early on in her career. Although Fletcher is preserving Arkansas and Southern history, she is also determined to share the history not only with residents of this state, but with the entire country.
“I don’t think most people understand just how many people come through our state and Little Rock. There are so many people who come here for meetings, conferences and so much more,” Fletcher said, adding that she is grateful she can share history with both tourists and locals.
During her time with MTCC, Fletcher has achieved a lot, both personally and in leading the museum to new heights. Fletcher has continued to lead this state and beyond by being a public speaker, a panelist and an expert in her career. She is the first Arkansan to serve as an American Alliance of Museums commissioner and led MTCC to its national accreditation in 2020, making it part of the 3 percent of museums accredited in the United States. Fletcher has also been heavily involved in the planning process for the grand reopening of MTCC, which spanned more than five years until the museum reopened its doors in early December 2023.
“I am so blessed to work in a field where I get to help tell the stories of communities of people that never throughout hundreds of years would have thought there would be places dedicated to sharing their history,” Fletcher said. “The thing that is most important to me is that this work is truly not about me. I’ve been so fortunate and blessed to serve all the people who walk through those doors, and it’s humbling to know the work is beyond me. I believe God has chosen me to ensure the preservation of Arkansas history, and I am going to continue to champion Arkansas history.”
READ ALSO: Arkansas Money & Politics Power Women 2023
