Face it, food-tasting events often end up too enthusiastic, with people jockeying for position to enjoy food that always seems to run out too soon. After the 12th annual Cooking for College benefit on June 14 -- maybe because the presenters are pros -- there was enough left for to-go boxes.
Family Life Center of Greater Center Star Baptist Church in Little Rock played host to the Horace Mann Transitional Class of 1972, the final group of black students dispatched to integrate the Little Rock School District that would have graduated from Horace Mann High School. Cooking for College featured the soul-food culinary creations of more than 30 chefs, including husband-and-wife teams.
The event took a serious turn via earnest remarks by featured speaker and Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner, who stated the aims of his department, told of his goals of best practices within the department, and emphasized the importance of police and community working to ensure a good relationship.
"Trust is a two-way street," he told the audience. "You want me and the officers of the Little Rock Police Department to behave ourselves, conduct ourselves in a way that is deserving of trust. We ask the same thing of you." Buckner further stressed that good communities understand "collective impact" -- not allowing unacceptable things to go on within their boundaries. "We are victims of our own apathy," he said. "The things that we turn our heads to is why we continue to be in this vicious cycle of violence."
The class shared the fruits of its yearly fundraiser by awarding two $1,000 Edwin L. Hawkins "I Challenge You" scholarships to Trinity Oliver, a J.A. Fair High School graduate, and Andrea Hargrove, a Parkview High School alumna.
High Profile on 06/28/2015