Category: Vitality Features
By Richard Ware – As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the nation faces an important question: How do we understand our past in order to shape our future? From its earliest years, America has marked its identity through public remembrance. In 1870, Congress formally recognized Independence Day, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas […]
By Arkansas Black Vitality Staff Feb. 2, 2026 – Northwest Arkansas, home to Walmart and two other homegrown Fortune 500 companies, has officially claimed the top spot in one of the nation’s most respected economic rankings. On Jan. 27, the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers metro has been named the No. 1 best‑performing large metropolitan area in America in […]
New $35.8 million program offers $3,500 per apprentice to employers nationwide, aiming to expand advanced manufacturing apprenticeships through a pay-for-performance model. By the Arkansas Black Vitality Staff Jan. 29, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the launch of the first American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund portal in Arkansas. The program, kicked off on Jan. […]
By the Arkansas Black Vitality Staff Jan. 30, 2026 – In a sweeping move that could significantly alter the landscape for minority-owned firms in Arkansas and across the nation, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the suspension of 1,091 firms from its 8(a) Business Development Program. This action, representing approximately 25% of all […]
