Black history event honoring locals
The seventh annual Arkansas Heritage Celebration of Black History Month will include the Pine Bluff mayor and a local senator among honorees.
Jason Irby, an award-winning author and Wabbaseka native, will present the celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center at Little Rock, according to a news release.
These Arkansans will be honored as the 2022 Legend Among Us award recipients:
Mayor Shirley M. Washington — First elected Black female mayor of Pine Bluff.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
State Sen. Stephanie Flowers — A lawyer from Pine Bluff and state senator who serves as vice chair of the Arkansas Senate Judiciary Committee. She continues the legacy of being a voice for justice and civil rights, according to the release.
R.J. Hampton — first Black American to run for Arkansas governor, according to Arkansas African American History Makers; author and publisher; two-time former president of Shorter College; and former president of Philander Smith College.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. — First elected Black mayor of Little Rock.
Mayor George B. McGill — First elected Black mayor of Fort Smith.
Trayce Parker — Raised at Little Rock, she became the First Black American president of UPS — U.S. East Region.
“This year’s recipients are yet among the most unique class we’ve recognized,” said Irby. “They range from political to corporate and from municipal to religion. Each of our 2022 Legend Among Us recipients are leading the way to paths that reveal diversity and opportunity. Each recipient has experiences that have broken barriers the once prevented promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. They have in many cases sacrificed their own livelihoods to create a better space for everyone. What they have achieved at this point in history will forever remain a legacy.”
The Black History celebration is sponsored in part by the Jason Irby Innovation Foundation, the Central Arkansas Library System, the Sequoyah National Research Center and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Mass Communications. Covid protocols will be observed.
Details: jasonirby.wordpress.com or jasonirbyinnovationfoundation@gmail.com.
State truck education cycle opening
The Arkansas State Highway Commission announced the next application cycle has opened for the Arkansas Commercial Truck Safety and Education Program (ACTSEP).
ACTSEP is the first program jointly involving the trucking industry and the Arkansas Department of Transportation to ensure improved commercial truck safety on state highways. It is funded with the first $2 million collected annually from a 15 percent registration fee increase for certain trucks operating in Arkansas under the International Registration Plan, according to a news release.
To request an application: visit www.ardot.gov and search “ACTSEP” or write to: Arkansas Department of Transportation, care of Program Management Division, P.O. Box 2261, Little Rock, AR, 72203-2261; call (501) 569-2481; fax (501) 569-2623; or email LFPA@ardot.gov.
To be considered for funding, applications must be received at the Arkansas Department of Transportation by 4 p.m. April 1 at the address in this announcement.