More than 80 people packed into Arkadelphia’s Town Hall Atrium Thursday morning for the second Black History Month celebration honoring local African Americans who left their mark on the community.
There was standing room only as city officials provided remarks on each of the 10 inductees. Those providing remarks were Mayor Scott Byrd, Assistant Mayor Roland Gosey, Pastor Greg Lathem and City Manager Gary Brinkley.
2024 honorees were:
Albert Neal, Clark County’s longest-serving Justice of the Peace
Annie Abrams, an activist from Arkadelphia
Dr. Kenneth J. Harris, the first Black president of the Arkadelphia Board of Education and its longest-serving member
Raymond Green, first Black bank board member in Arkadelphia
Ione Bynum, owner of the first Black child care center in Arkadelphia
Hosea Sanders, first Black broadcast journalist from Arkadelphia
Joe Charles “Ike” Newborn, first Black mail carrier in Arkadelphia
George D. Mitchell Jr., first black Arkadelphia school board member and first Black coroner in Clark County
Ida Feaster, namesake of Feaster Park
Carrol Forte, first Black administrator at Arkadelphia Public Schools
Following the ceremony, the honorees and their families were taken on a guided walk through of the downtown area to view the banners, which included each honoree’s likeness, on display.
The honorees were selected by the city’s Black History Month nominating committee, which is comprised of Dr. Lewis Shepherd, Dr. Patricia Wright, Rev. Llewellyn Terry and Dr. Kenneth Harris.
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