Anniversary honor set
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church at Moscow will celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the pastor and wife, the Rev. Stanley R. Blair Sr. and Tina Blair, at noon Sunday, Dec. 5.
The guest speaker will be the Rev. Lee Whitiker, pastor of Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church at Pine Bluff, accompanied by the Solid Rock choir and church family.
Proposal set for review
Mayor Shirley Washington's office will conduct a public review of the proposed changes to the city of Pine Bluff's wards. A meeting will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, according to a news release.
All citizens are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn about the process, the impact of the proposed changes and to provide feedback.
The re-drawing of the municipal ward boundary lines results from the reduction in city population according to the 2020 Census data. The mayor's office will facilitate the public review of the proposed changes, according to the release. Details: mayor's office, (870) 730-2000, ext. 7.
Sykes grant awarded
The Black History Commission of Arkansas awarded funds from the Curtis H. Sykes Memorial Grant program to an Arkansas County community history project Nov. 18.
The Keaton Township Project received a $3,036 grant. Funds will be used for the development and publication of a book dedicated to the the history of farming families in the Keaton Township at Arkansas County, according to a news release.
"The project seeks to preserve, record and pass along the rich history of its area, comprised of the small farming communities of Almyra, Casscoe, Immanuel and Lookout, located in Arkansas' Grand Prairie," according to the release.
The project previously published a book on the history of midwives in the township. At its peak population, some 200 families lived in the area. They included descendants of emancipated enslaved laborers and of their previous owners, according to the release.
The commission also finalized plans for the Arkansas Black History Symposium to be held Feb. 5 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center at Little Rock. The event's theme will be "African American Medicine in Arkansas." Speakers will include Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first African American and 15th Surgeon General of the United States.