Takiyah Smith, a senior at Pine Bluff High School, has been selected as a regional ambassador for a national youth committee of the 400 Years of African American History Commission.
Smith will be part of the inaugural class of the commission’s ambassador program.
The daughter of Onika Gibson-Lovett, Smith plans to attend Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge. She will major in nursing and work toward becoming a nurse practitioner, she said in a news release.
As regional ambassadors, students will participate in a two-day training session in Washington, where they will meet with members of Congress, the commission, national student ambassadors and other ambassadors from across the country. They will participate in monthly teleconferences or Zoom calls to discuss community and educational issues and develop student-led solutions for presentation to local and national officials, according to the release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“We are excited to announce that Ms. Smith becomes the first scholar from Arkansas and Pine Bluff High School to serve as a 400 Years of African American History Commission ambassador,” said the Rev. Jesse C. Turner, executive director of Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc.
PBICVR is partnering with the 400 Years of African American History Commission in Washington, D.C.
In a statement, Alyrique Franklin, administrative assistant for the 400 Years of African American History Commission, told Smith: “We believe that you embody all the qualities we were looking for in an applicant, and we are thrilled to have you join this important initiative,” she said.