Local notables honored at Black History banquet
Meet Me at the Court held its eighth annual Black History Person and Youth of the Year Banquet Saturday night at the Parish Hall of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. The banquet consisted of both an awards ceremony honoring local notables as well as an education program focused on Black history.
Awards, which consisted of plaques presented by MMC founder and CEO Veronica Bailey and El Dorado city council member Willie McGhee, were given out in a variety of categories meant to highlight a number of local community members.
The Robert and Margie Bailey Humanitarian Award went to the Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. Fraternity this year; the fraternity donated six bicycles to assist in MMC’s Christmas giveaway.
Several local Kappa Alpha Psi brothers were on hand to accept the award.
“I’d like to briefly say that in selecting our Robert and Margie Bailey Humanitarian Award recipients, we look for someone who has showed humanitarianism in the community. This fraternity has shown humanitarianism,” Bailey said.
Bailey went on to say that Kappa Alpha Psi donated bicycles for the Christmas giveaway held at Hillsboro Townhouse Apartments.
“Some of the children, we know, would not have been able to have [a bicycle] if it were not for this fraternity pouring out of their hearts… The children were so excited they would not even get off the bicycles, they rode them out of the building and rode it home,” Bailey continued.
Zy’Terrius Fifer, 9, a third-grader, honor roll student at Yocum Elementary School and active MMC member, was the winner of the Youth of the Year award. Fifer was unable to attend to accept the award Saturday evening.
The Youth Community award winner was Kaitlyn Brazle, a Parkers Chapel High School senior active in pageantry, competitive cheer and dance and anti-bullying activism.
Brazle has taken part in competitions including the Junior Miss Union County Fair pageant, the Junior Miss Parkers Chapel, Teen Miss Union County, Teen Miss MusicFest, Miss Diamond
Diamond National USA Jr. Teen and Miss Sweetheart of Arkansas, among others. She has also spoken about her anti-bullying platform at venues including the El Dorado Rotary Club.
Betty Shutes-Christopher, a public health inspector with the Arkansas Dept. of Health from 1979 until 2008, was the adult Community awardee.
“She has a phone ministry of 11 individuals that she checks out their welfare and if they need anything. Some of her individuals are from Chicago, Crosset and Texas,” Bailey said.
The Business award went to Ronald Pumphrey, owner of What You Need Dun, a home improvement business.
“I asked [Pumphrey] his most memorable moment with his home improvement business and he said when he… built a large deck for a lady and improved a mobile home… in eight days with the help of his wife and family members,” Pumphrey.
Retired educators Bobbie and Harold Massey shared this year’s Education awards.
Bobbie taught fourth graders at Yocum Elementary School for 28 years and spent five years as an ESL instructor, according to previous News-Time reporting, while Harold taught at Strong High School, Rogers Junior High School and El Dorado High School.
Bailey spoke about Harold Massey first.
“Deacon Harold Massey had a total of 31 years in education,” Bailey said.
Bobbie Massey was presented with her award next.
“She was a teacher in the El Dorado School District for 28 years… Her most memorable moment was being concerned with the quality of education that each one of her students would receive,” Bailey said.
The Sports award went to Toni Ann Moody, a track star at EHS and Barton Junior High School who graduated in 1980.
“My son got to digging and called me and said, ‘Mom, I’ve got our sports person,’” Bailey said.
Bailey said she was unaware of Moody’s track career and was filled in by her son.
Moody participated in the 100-yard dash, 220, 440 and 880 relays and, Bailey said, broke a record in the 100-yard-dash during her career.
The keynote speaker was Carolyn Norman, who praised the occasion and noted Black history figures locally and beyond.
“This has been a beautiful evening, so awesome. I’ve witnessed here…. the love, the warmth, of so many I see and know, and so many I haven’t seen in awhile,” Norman said.
“There are so many Black history heroes right here at this gathering tonight. We have mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, we have children, grandchildren… friends and loved ones. God has blessed all of us,” she continued.
Other activities during the banquet included songs by the MMC Youth Choir and Male Chorus, an enthusiastic recitation of the poem “Hey Black Child” by Kaleb Floyd, 8, and recitation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech by Jimmy Howard.