Black History Awareness Week in White County, AR 2006

The St. Mary Assistance and Prevention Program (SAPP) is kicking off White County’s Community Wide Black History Awareness Weekend beginning on Friday, Feb. 17. The weekend will include a reception with keynote address, parade, fellowship at Spring Park, and a celebration by the World Renown Philander Smith Choir.

The event will begin with a reception and program at the Carmichael Community Center on Friday, Feb. 17. The keynote speaker will be Attorney and former Acting Attorney General J. Leon Johnson.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, at 11 a.m., there will be a parade in Searcy to highlight African Americans in White County who are making history. The parade will end in Spring Park where refreshments will be served. At 6 p.m., on Saturday afternoon, The Philander Smith

Choir will perform at the United Methodist Church in Searcy, Arkansas.

Attendance all events will be free of charge.

The theme is “We’ve Come this Far by Faith” which highlights the spiritual reliance on God for the significant achievements of African Americans. Specifically, the event weekend will emphasize significant contributions of White Countians. “There are many African-Americans with White Counties that are making a difference,” says Rev. William Gant. “This weekend will lift up those people and the community.”

The St. Mary Assistance and Prevention Program is a faith-based non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Arkansas and registered in White County. The SAPP is headquartered at St. Mary Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, located at the corner of Park and Sowell Streets. The mission of the SAPP is to provide little or no-cost assistance to the community with programs ranging from after-school service tutoring programs to substance abuse referral services. The SAPP is also active in prevention services within the community.