Blog
By Angel Burt – Bentonville, Ark. – The Momentary, part of the Crystal Bridges Museum of America Art in Bentonville, recently held a private tour of the new Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax exhibition attended by Arkansas Black Vitality. The five-month showcase initially kicked off on May 25 with a concert by R&B artist John Legend. […]
The Good Stuff By Dwain Hebda — The first time Harvey Williams showed his family the downtown Helena storefront where his vision for the distillery Delta Dirt was to be realized, he got a couple of sideways glances. Even today, as the stylish tasting room and production facility gleams on one corner of Helena, the […]
Local viewing ceremony at Little Rock’s Second Baptist Church By Arkansas Black Vitality Staff – Daisy Gatson Bates will soon get her due recognition at the U.S. Capitol, next to Rosa Parks. On Wednesday, May 8, Bates will become the 13th woman represented in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol in […]
By Wesley Brown and Angel Burt — Team “Ella the Banker” seeks to build family legacy with nationwide launch of children’s book on financial literacy The first time you get to meet Team “Ella the Banker,” you get the sense you are witnessing if something pretty big. Ten-year-old Liam Sprinkle and his mom, Shamim Okolloh, […]
The Big Aristotle, one of the creative nicknames associated with basketball great and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, is putting his moniker and star power behind the newest fast-food restaurant in Northwest Arkansas. Big Chicken, the star-powered chicken restaurant concept founded by O’Neal, announced the opening of its newest location in downtown Fayetteville on […]
Under the leadership of its 45th president, Shorter College is experiencing an unprecedented renaissance that rejuvenates the two-year technical school’s campus and the surrounding urban neighborhood. Founded in 1886 by the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Shorter is the nation’s only private, two-year HBCU. That partnership with the AME church was highlighted on Feb. 9 […]
By De’Stani Clark — The PBS team began with a quest to explore the architectural wonders of Taborian Hall. However, as the cameras started rolling, the narrative took an unexpected turn. For decades, Little Rock’s West Ninth Street was the heart of the city’s African American community, home to businesses, schools and fraternal organizations. The […]
By Dwain Hebda — Marcus Guinn, executive vice president and loan manager at Arvest Bank, is one of central Arkansas’s most respected and well-known bankers. Over a nearly 40-year career, the native of Gurdon has steadily created a solid reputation as he climbed the ranks through changing times, consolidation and mergers. He’s shuffled loan papers […]
By Wesley Brown — What do Jay Z, highly acclaimed British actor David Oyelowo, a new exhibit at the Arkansas State Capital, and the recently opened U.S. Marshalls Museum (USMM) in Fort Smith all have in common? They all bring newfound attention to the exploits and legend of the late Arkansas U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, […]
By Wesley Brown, Arkansas Black Vitality Editor July 13, 2026 – As the U.S. venture capital ecosystem rebounds from two years of considerable post-pandemic turbulence, Arkansas is looking to get more startups in the funding pipeline and bring new venture capital dealmakers to the Natural State. In partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Bentonville-based […]
By the Arkansas Black Vitality Staff LITTLE ROCK– July 7, 2026 – The Bezos Earth Fund announced today that Little Rock is among eight U.S. cities to receive a $100 million investment as part of its Greening America’s Cities initiative to fund community-designed parks, beautiful large-scale green spaces, and immersive outdoor areas. Funding will be distributed […]
By the Arkansas Black Vitality Staff BENTONVILLE, Ark. – June 22, 2026 – Nearly two weeks before some Medicare recipients will be able to access so-called GLP-1 medications by paying one flat fee per month, the nation’s largest retailer announced a nationwide effort to help those same beneficiaries better understand new prescription drug coverage options for the […]
By the Arkansas Black Vitality Staff LITTLE ROCK – June 18, 2026 – Forward Arkansas, the nonprofit group established in 2015 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation to improve educational outcomes for Arkansas students, announced today that it is expanding access to an innovative education model to five school districts statewide, bringing […]
