The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission has implemented a program that is designed to promote and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This annual event, “A Day of Serviceâ€, targets homeless individuals and others who may not have certain resources available to them. Speakers such as Martin Luther King III and Isaac Farris (Dr King’s nephew), Erick Braeden (Y & R’s Victor Newman), as well as entertainers across the state have come to help celebrate Dr King’s life and motivate other to do the same. These events are always free and open to the public and we encourage the community to participate in various service projects throughout the day.
A Day of Service: A Day On, Not A Day Off
Annual Commemorative Vigil Honoring the Legacy of Dr. King
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman and civil rights leader who was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday April 4, 1968, at the age of 39; King was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his use of civil disobedience and non-violence. Each year the Arkansas MLK, Jr. Commission hosts a commemorative vigil honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King.
Annual Interfaith Prayer Breakfast
The Interfaith Prayer Breakfast is a “must attend†FREE event for King Holiday. The event attracts hundreds of attendees including city officials, area clergy, dignitaries and prominent inter-faith, business and community leaders. “Dr. King was a great influence on so many in the interfaith community during his lifetime and even to this day. He was able to intersect in the civil rights movement community leaders, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Protestants, Catholics, and they all came together, sang together and marched together,†says DuShun Scarbrough, Executive Director of the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission. Hundreds gather for breakfast, fellow-ship and to hear words of compassion, hope, and action inspired by Dr. King.
Arkansas Department of Workforce Services
PREPARING TODAY‘S WORKFORCE FOR TOMORROW’S CAREERS
Education and workforce development opportunities are critical to a strong economy. To aid in meeting these demands, ADWS will continue to collaborate with its partners and work closely with employers and jobseekers to develop initiatives and offer effective programs and services to enrich the economic growth of Arkansas. Together, we are preparing today’s workforce for tomorrow’s careers.
Coretta Scott King Women's Conference
In the spirit of Dr. King, and to honor his right hand and beloved wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission will hosts an Annual Coretta Scott King Women’s Conference. The annual women’s conference is held at correctional facilities throughout the state.
Dreamkeepers Program
Life's most persistent question, Dr. King said, is "What are you doing for others?"
We are determined to effectively assist our youth and help them to see the importance of being a leader and giving their time, talent and experience back to the community. By carrying out this portion of our mission on a large scale via the Dream keepers Program, we have set in motion a new ethic of services to others. This team performs local area service projects where they learn the gratification of helping others and where others learn that there are still young people with the desire to serve.
The Dream Keepers Program will immediately address the specific issues that serve as a hindrance to Arkansas’ progress and the progress of our youth, the lack of understanding of Dr. King’s Message of Service.
Unfortunately, many individuals who are willing and able to serve have not found the proper vehicle through which to offer their services. The King Commission officially launched the Dream Keeper’s Program, which is designed to form teams of young people who will commit themselves to community service. By involving young people in the Commission’s work, the Commission has been dispelling the negative attitude toward our youth. Dream Keeper’s involvement helps youth make choices that will have a positive impact on their lives and their communities.
The Dream Keepers are organized with the following commitments to community service:
- Hold non-violence workshops and forums
- Organize a nonviolence pledge card signing campaign
- In support of people who are victims of crime
- Assist and promote with literacy programs
- Visit the elderly, sick, and/ or shut-in
- Help feed the hungry and shelter the homeless
- Work to eliminate racism and other prejudices
- Volunteer to serve in hospitals and health care facilities
- Clean up a neighborhood or park
- Tutor grade school and high school students
- Work with physically challenged individuals
- Assist with voter registration
Good Neighbor Citizenship Company Grants | State Farm®
Good Neighbor Citizenship Company Grants | State Farm®
- 10+ year partnership between State Farm and the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, which has been phenomenally beneficial to young Arkansans and their families
- In the early years, it started with the Commemorative Vigil honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Youth Community Service Day where students from across the State of Arkansas convened on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol to celebrate and promote the importance of service
- No matter the choice, service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community. It breaks down barriers by bringing people from diverse backgrounds together and it helps those who choose to serve.
- This expanded to include our annual signature program on the King Holiday titled “A Day Of Service – A Day Of Impact” where the motto is “A Day On, Not A Day Off”. During this project, service providers were gathered at one location to supply direct services and/or referrals to the community. Many of these services and referrals included health screenings, hygiene kits, food distribution, employment connections, government aid, and more.
- Continuing through the success of the partnership, L.E.A.D. ® (Leadership, Education, and Acceptance of Diversity) was added to further the reach. L.E.A.D. ® is a mentorship and leadership program created by the Commission that is designed to enhance today’s youth through social, academic, and career opportunities with the mission to further and preserve the life and legacy of Dr. King throughout the State of Arkansas while promoting the principles of nonviolence and equality among all citizens.
Most recently, the Kingian Financial Literacy Program was added to increase the footprint of programs available for young Arkansans and their families throughout the four (4) congressional districts of Arkansas. The Kingian Financial Literacy Program is embedded as a framework in a majority of the public community outreach activities under various names, most of which are titled “Nonviolence Youth Summit”, “Economic Development”, and more; here is a list of many of those activities with Financial Literacy as the center of discussion and oftentimes the standalone topic and theme:
- Chamber of Commerce Tours throughout Arkansas in Batesville (Independence County), Benton (Saline County), Blytheville (Mississippi County), DeQueen (Sevier County), El Dorado (Union County), Fayetteville (Washington County), Fort Smith (Sebastian County), Harrison (Boone County), Helena-West Helena (Phillips County), Hope (Hempstead County), Hoxie (Lawrence County), Marianna (Lee County), Little Rock (Pulaski County), Monticello (Drew County), Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), and Siloam Springs (Benton County)
- Delta Experience in both Phillips County and Lee County to include education, nonviolence, youth empowerment, literacy, economic development, food insecurity, and paying it forward
- Economic Development Conference in Monticello (Drew County)
- Hunger Relief Food Distributions on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and King Holiday where information was distributed to attendees inviting them to join a free, self-paced online class about Personal Finance, Financial Literacy, Home Ownership, and more
- Promoting Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.)
- Reading Programs at Forest Heights Stem Academy and Bale Elementary School
- Virtual Home Buyers Workshops
A majority of the mentions and coverage are on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AMLKC) highlighting engagement from State Farm® agents who participated in several ways such as leading workshop presentations, speaking on the program, or volunteering. Here are a few photos from those occasions.
Good Neighbor Citizenship Company Grants | State Farm®
Good Neighbor Citizenship Company Grants | State Farm®
- 10+ year partnership between State Farm and the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, which has been phenomenally beneficial to young Arkansans and their families
- In the early years, it started with the Commemorative Vigil honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Youth Community Service Day where students from across the State of Arkansas convened on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol to celebrate and promote the importance of service
- No matter the choice, service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community. It breaks down barriers by bringing people from diverse backgrounds together and it helps those who choose to serve.
- This expanded to include our annual signature program on the King Holiday titled “A Day Of Service – A Day Of Impact” where the motto is “A Day On, Not A Day Off”. During this project, service providers were gathered at one location to supply direct services and/or referrals to the community. Many of these services and referrals included health screenings, hygiene kits, food distribution, employment connections, government aid, and more.
- Continuing through the success of the partnership, L.E.A.D. ® (Leadership, Education, and Acceptance of Diversity) was added to further the reach. L.E.A.D. ® is a mentorship and leadership program created by the Commission that is designed to enhance today’s youth through social, academic, and career opportunities with the mission to further and preserve the life and legacy of Dr. King throughout the State of Arkansas while promoting the principles of nonviolence and equality among all citizens.
Most recently, the Kingian Financial Literacy Program was added to increase the footprint of programs available for young Arkansans and their families throughout the four (4) congressional districts of Arkansas. The Kingian Financial Literacy Program is embedded as a framework in a majority of the public community outreach activities under various names, most of which are titled “Nonviolence Youth Summit”, “Economic Development”, and more; here is a list of many of those activities with Financial Literacy as the center of discussion and oftentimes the standalone topic and theme:
- Chamber of Commerce Tours throughout Arkansas in Batesville (Independence County), Benton (Saline County), Blytheville (Mississippi County), DeQueen (Sevier County), El Dorado (Union County), Fayetteville (Washington County), Fort Smith (Sebastian County), Harrison (Boone County), Helena-West Helena (Phillips County), Hope (Hempstead County), Hoxie (Lawrence County), Marianna (Lee County), Little Rock (Pulaski County), Monticello (Drew County), Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), and Siloam Springs (Benton County)
- Delta Experience in both Phillips County and Lee County to include education, nonviolence, youth empowerment, literacy, economic development, food insecurity, and paying it forward
- Economic Development Conference in Monticello (Drew County)
- Hunger Relief Food Distributions on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and King Holiday where information was distributed to attendees inviting them to join a free, self-paced online class about Personal Finance, Financial Literacy, Home Ownership, and more
- Promoting Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.)
- Reading Programs at Forest Heights Stem Academy and Bale Elementary School
- Virtual Home Buyers Workshops
A majority of the mentions and coverage are on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AMLKC) highlighting engagement from State Farm® agents who participated in several ways such as leading workshop presentations, speaking on the program, or volunteering. Here are a few photos from those occasions.
L.E.A.D.
L.E.A.D. Apprenticeship and Dreamkeepers
L.E.A.D. is a mentorship and leadership program designed to enhance our youth through- SOCIAL, ACADEMIC AND CAREER MENTORSHIP. The term “mentoringâ€, refers to a supportive relationship that is characterized byconstructive role modeling, encouragement towards raised aspirations, and a positive reinforcement of the achievement of goals. L.E.A.D. is an essential program that reaches out to a wide variety of communities for purposes of gathering youth from different walks of life. Within this group of youth, we introduce the six principles of non-violence from the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The program aims towards diversity; through group discussions, workshops and special presentations/speeches; we address the needs of the youth, which include:
• To develop and enhance a sense of student identity, and self-esteem.
• To become effectively integrated into the school, to articulate why they should care about finishing school
at all.
• To articulate a sense of purpose about pursuing their particular program of study; and
• To acquire the necessary skills to become independent, and lifelong learners.
We assist our youth and help them to see the importance of being a leader and giving their time, talent and experience back to the community. Therefore as this time, the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission would like to extend an invitation to you in order that you might make a decision to participate, to help reach out to youth of Arkansas and their communities while ensuring the success of the L.E.A.D. program.
MLK Birthday Bash
MLK Birthday Bash
The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission (AMLKC), partners with area schools and volunteer organizations to host commemorative events during "King Week" to teach youth about the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
MLK Commission Open House
Nonviolence Youth Summit
The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission (AMLKC), with the assistance of the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), has implemented a program that is designed to encourage youth ages 10 to 18 to engage in positive leadership development and roles within their communities. These summits educate the youth of Arkansas on professional development, leadership, Arkansas history, crime prevention, and so much more. The AMLKC’s mission with these summits is to teach and reach youth in all regions of the state. These summits are always free and open to all with free lunch and other giveaways provided to those that attend. The AMLKC with the support and aid of DHS has had great success in holding Nonviolence Youth Summits, which have each garnered the attendance of hundreds of youth.
Thank you State Farm for your support of Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission's initiatives to promote economic development and financial literacy through the state of Arkansas
Thank you State Farm for your support of Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission's initiatives to promote economic development and financial literacy through the state of Arkansas
State Farm Agent Whitney Owens presents a check to Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission before thousands at the Commemorative Vigil at the Arkansas State Capitol.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services
The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) is in charge of maintaining social services for Arkansas by providing assistance to families and monitoring/inspecting health facilities.
The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission Thanks State Farm for their Contribution!
Thank you State Farm for your support of Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission's initiatives to promote economic development and financial literacy through the state of Arkansas
(State Farm Representatives present check to Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission before thousands of students at the 2022 Nonviolence Youth, Statehouse Convention, Little Rock. They are joined onstage by entrepreneur and music mogul Percy "Master P" Miller and son, Romeo Miller
The Arkansas Minority Health Commission
MISSION, VISION & GOALS
MISSION
The mission of the Arkansas Minority Health Commission (AMHC) is to assure all minority Arkansans equitable access to preventive health care and to seek ways to promote health and prevent diseases and conditions that are prevalent among minority populations.
The Commission supports its mission through:
- Studying issues relating to the delivery of and access to health services for minorities in Arkansas;
- Identifying any gaps in the health service delivery system that particularly affect minorities;
- Making recommendations to relevant agencies and to the legislature for improving the delivery and access to health services for minorities; and
- Studying and making recommendations as to whether adequate services are available to ensure future minority health needs will be met.
VISION
The AMHC’s vision is that minority Arkansans have equal opportunity and access to health, health care and preventive well care.
GOAL
Our goal is to be a catalyst in bridging the gap in the health status of the minority population and that of the majority population in Arkansas. To accomplish this, the commission focuses on addressing existing disparities in minority communities, educating these communities on healthier lifestyles, promoting awareness of services and accessibility within our health care system, and making recommendations to relevant agencies, the Governor and to the state legislature.