The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced its inductees for 2015.
Those selected for induction are comedian and actress Luenell Campbell, 56, a Tollette native; NFL Hall of Fame defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, 47, born in Osceola; central Arkansas civic and faith leader Bishop D.L. Lindsey, 91, born in Bluff City; dean emeritus of the University of Illinois, Mildred Barnes Griggs, 73, a Marianna native; and C. Michael Tidwell, a longtime teacher and dance choreographer in Little Rock.
In addition, Dr. Eddie Reed, a physician and researcher who became the first black branch chief of the National Cancer Institute, will be posthumously inducted. Reed, who was born in Heth, died last year at age 60.
The inductees are set to be honored at a ceremony the evening of Oct. 17 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
Arkansas Black Hall of Fame founder and Chairman Charles Stewart, speaking Tuesday at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in downtown Little Rock, said each of the inductees has been "an inspiration for this generation and future generations."
"One of the threads that flows through all of our inductees, I think without exception, is that most of the individuals that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame have had to overcome significant obstacles. You don't come from Heth, Arkansas," he said, referring to Reed, "and rise to the top of the medical field, heading up an institute in Washington, D.C., without having to overcome some challenges."
Past inductees include author Maya Angelou, the Little Rock Nine, Major League Baseball player Torii Hunter and former President Bill Clinton, the first white person inducted. The Hall of Fame, founded in 1992, chooses six inductees each year.
"We look for persons who have received either national or international acclaim in their chosen field of endeavor," Stewart said. "And we look at various backgrounds, various occupations, and we try to balance it each year. We make sure that we have men and women, and we have started trying to bring in some younger people, so they don't have to wait until the end of their career to be recognized for the work that they're doing."
Metro on 09/02/2015