Persevering Pearls, an Official Interest Group of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. serving North Pulaski, honored 20 men in various arenas at the Crown Him ... The King Awards on March 16. The event, which took place at the Argenta Contemporary Theatre in North Little Rock, was designed to recognize "outstanding men who have made remarkable contributions to their communities."
Honorees receiving Trailblazer, Humanitarian, Visionary and Unsung Hero awards were the Rev. Eric Alexander, senior pastor of St. Luke Baptist Church in North Little Rock; Scott Hamilton, CEO of the Urban League of Arkansas; North Little Rock police Officer Tommy Norman; Pulaski County sheriff's office Lt. Cardarious Walker; lawyer and criminal justice instructor Bobby Forrest; Brandon Morris, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) communications adviser; energy industry trailblazer and MISO leader Daryl Brown; Dr. Jason Williams, nurse practitioner and minority-health pioneer; architect Earnest L. Duckery; Capt. Ronald Messer, first Black captain in the North Little Rock Police Department; North Little Rock teacher and administrator Charles Jones; Dr. Jerome Green, Shorter College president; Eddie Armstrong, House Minority Leader, Arkansas General Assembly; volunteer and former firefighter Marvin Benton; community leader Michael Williams Sr.; Arlo Washington, founder and CEO of People Trust Community Federal Credit Union; Dr. Jeremy Owoh, Jacksonville North Pulaski School District superintendent; the Rev. Jameel Wesley, senior pastor of North Little Rock's Eighth Street Missionary Baptist Church; the Rev. Prentice Dupins, teacher, digital filmmaker and senior pastor of Covenant Family Church in North Little Rock; and former state legislator Tracy Steele.
Recipients were selected for "outstanding achievements and unwavering commitment to making a difference in their respective communities," according to organizers.
-- Photos Special to the Democrat-Gazette/ Elevate Creative Works/ Donte Lowmack