Mrs. Evangeline Katherine Brown was born in Norwood, Louisiana and raised throughout Arkansas. She attended high schools in Portland, McGehee and Dumas, Arkansas.

While working in the education system, she chaired the Teachers of English Council for the Arkansas Teachers Association, was a board member of the Nation Council of English Teachers for nine years, and president of the Arkansas Education Classroom Teachers Association and the Desha County Teachers Association. Her accomplishments in the educational arena span a period exceeding 44 years and are too numerous to list.

In her con...(more)

Judge George Howard, Jr. is a native of Pine Bluff Arkansas, and received his early education in the public schools of the city. Judge Howard's undergraduate and pre law education were commenced at Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri, under the combined Degree Program. After the completion of the requirements for entry to the Lincoln University Law School at St Louis, Missouri, he, instead, made application and was admitted to the University of Arkansas Law School at Fayetteville, Arkansas, where in 1954, he received the B.S. and Juris Doctorate Degrees.

He has been admitted to pra...(more)

Mr. Ernest P. Joshua, Sr. is the founder and CEO of J. M. Products, Inc. (J.M.), based in Little Rock, AR. J.M. Products, Inc. is the manufacturer of ISOPLUS, ISOPLUS for KIDS, ISOPLUS Healthy Solutions Plus, UpTurn, Oil of K and Black Magic brand products The Company is one of the largest manufacturers. of ethnic hair care products in the US. and is the largest Black-owned company in the state of Arkansas.

The Company currently has two manufacturing facilities in the US. The two manufacturing facilities in the home based cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock comprise over 165,000 squ...(more)

Mr. James McKissic was born March 16, 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. McKissic has a B. S. Degree in Music Education from A. M. & N College, 1962, Pine Bluff Arkansas (now University of Arkansas Pine Bluff). He is Professor of Chamber Music, University of California Berkeley, California.

He has performed concerts in USA, Switzerland, France, Kenya, England, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Maroc, Holland, Bangkok, Germany, Belgium, and Italy. Mr. McKissic made his New York debut in Carnegie Hall in February, 1986, and has played in Carnegie Hall eight times. A film of his life, "How Do You G...(more)

Mr. Art Porter was born Arthur Lee Porter, February 8, 1934 to Eugene and Lillie Porter in Little Rock, Arkansas. Art's family also included an older brother, Eugene. He attended the local public schools and received a Bachelor?s degree in Music Education from UAPB (formerly A.M. & N College). He earned a Master's degree from Henderson State University and studied further at the University of Illinois in Urbana and the University of Texas at Austin.

Art's music education began with his mother at age 5, and then to private instruction by Mrs. Hazel Hynson. He began playing in church at ag...(more)

Since she was crowned Miss America 1990, Dr. Debbye Turner has spoken to more than 200,000 students at over 200 schools, youth organizations and college campuses. Her topics include personal excellence, unrelenting determination, goal setting, and the importance of a solid education. She strongly believes that any person has the potential for success no matter their race, socio-economic background, or gender. She uses her own life as an example of triumphing over the odds. It took seven years, eleven tries, in two states to get to and win the Miss America Pageant

Dr. Turner completed her Do...(more)