NAACP honors
Editor, The Commercial:
The Carnell Russ Branch NAACP honors two native sons during Black History Month.
WILEY AUSTIN BRANTON
Have you ever given thought to the highways on which you drive for reasons other than to get to where you’re going? Do you read the informational signs along the way for reasons other than to get to where you’re going? Probably not. It’s a common practice for most of us. I challenge you to read one sign as you travel I-530 North and South. The Interstate 530 Pine Bluff bypass is named in honor of Wiley Branton Sr., a Pine Bluff, Arkansas native, accomplished lawyer and civil rights activist who joined the legal team of the Little Rock Nine in 1957 as the first to integrate an all-white school in Little Rock.
JOE L. HARGROVE
We should never forget that where one comes from does not limit your accomplishments, only your mentality. Grady, a small town in Lincoln County, is often spoken of as a place where you can’t blink when traveling through or you’ll need to say “we were in Grady.” However, a Grady native named Joe L. Hargrove is one of the most sought-after heart surgeons in Little Rock. Hargrove is a graduate of Grady Colored High School, Arkansas AM&N College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), and Case Western Medical School.
These are just two examples of local African Americans who have made a difference in the lives of all people and two to be lifted up as examples of what can be when we believe, work hard, and have desires to live in a better world.
Black History Month must not be about remembering the same people every year, although it’s important to do so. Let’s not forget that there are still those among us who are worthy of note and worthy of lifting up to bring new challenges to our young people who are looking for just the right role model to motivate them to become a contributor to the culture and existence of all mankind.
BARBARA DIXON RETIRED EDUCATOR AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR OF THE CARNELL RUSS BRANCH NAACP OF STAR CITY AND LINCOLN COUNTY