60 years of service
Editor, The Commercial:
We are thrilled and honored to be a part of the oldest community-wide organization founded by local Black Pine Bluffians. This month marks the 60th anniversary of the Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc. (PBICVR). Established in Pine Bluff on July 9, 1964, by nine Black citizens at the Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church at 1123 S. Virginia St., the group’s first president was Mr. O. T. Tooke, and Mrs. Jane A. Ramos served as the first secretary. The other founding members included Dr. D.J. Albritton, Dr. R. Frank Bryant Sr., Dr. Robert J. Smith, Rev. Isaac Tate, Mr. Buck Goodrum, Mr. Burgess B. Lawson, and Mr. Japhas A. Gordon. Additional distinguished members were the late Wiley A. Branton Sr., Dr. Cleon Flowers Sr., Mr. Lewis Yancy Sr., Dr. Vanette Johnson, Dr. Willie Molette, Dr. Clifton G. Roaf, Mrs. Naomi Lawson, Mr. Elijah Coleman, Mrs. Bessie Jordan, Dr. Sellers J. Parker, Rev. Curlee Thomas, Rev. John H. Nolen, Rev. James E. McKissic, Dr. Martha Flowers, Rev. H.O. Gray and Rev. John Watson Sr., among others.
Following the Civil Rights Act enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964, nine Black citizens in Pine Bluff initiated a transformational movement known as Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration (PBICVR). Dedicated to fighting injustice and inequality, PBICVR has been instrumental in effecting changes that have significantly enhanced the lives of Black residents in the region.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Notably, PBICVR’s advocacy resulted in the hiring and subsequent election of the first Black Jefferson County clerk, the late Helen McClinton-Bradley. The organization’s unwavering commitment has yielded numerous victories, including a decade-long campaign to dedicate a section of Interstate Highway 530 to the late civil rights lawyer Wiley A. Branton Sr. PBICVR also led the charge to dismantle the discriminatory At-Large election system, replacing it with Wards and Zones to ensure fair representation. Committed to reducing Black homicide rates and fostering leadership, PBICVR champions the PEN OR PENCIL Mentoring Movement Program and promotes awareness of African Americans who overcame slavery to achieve prosperity.
For six decades, PBICVR has been pivotal in reforming school and municipal election processes, among other notable advancements. We are thankful and honored for sixty years of relentless community service progress in Pine Bluff, the state and nation.
Rev. Jesse C. Turner, MS, CED,
Executive Director, Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration, Inc.