Five community leaders were celebrated at Southeast Arkansas College’s McGeorge Hall for A Night of Black Excellence on Feb. 26.
Each of the honorees were celebrated for their work in a different field during this dinner to celebrate February as Black History Month. Rikki Nelson, the director of marketing and public relations at SEARK, organized the event.
“I recently returned to Arkansas after living in three other states since 2007,” Nelson said. “So, I was just excited to highlight Pine Bluff in a way that was elegant, that was memorable and that was impactful.”
Honorees included SEARK alumna Classie Jones Green, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award; former Pine Bluff Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr., who received the Civic Leader Award; Abraham Carpenter of Carpenter’s Produce, who received the Business Impact Award; Dr. Martha Flowers, who was recognized as a Healthcare Hero; and Andre Braswell, The Heat magazine publisher who was recognized as a Voice of the Community. Green’s daughter, Bonita Jones Rainey, accepted on her mother’s behalf the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Asked about the winners, Nelson added: “I knew these were the changemakers and that these people were well-known and that they were deserving of this honor.”
Tyrone Jackson, serving as SEARK’s first Black president, recognized a great turnout to fill the seminar room at McGeorge Hall.
“The honorees were very appreciative of this special recognition,” Jackson said. “These are people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their field. It was absolutely amazing.”
