Black History in White County

Black history parade coming Thursday, February 23, 2006 5:14 PM CST Green Everlyn Green to be grand marshall By Pat Hambrick The Daily Citizen The Black History Weekend Celebration parade, which had to be postponed due to inclement weather last Saturday, will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 and will be followed by a reception at Spring Park. Everlyn Green, recently inducted into the Searcy Public Schools Hall of Fame, will be grand marshall for the parade. The parade will start at W. Academy and Gum Streets, near Ahlf Junior High School, go east on Spruce, south to Arch and then end on Spring St. The reception will be held immediately following the parade, and everyone is invited to attend the free event. The parade will highlight African-Americans in White County who are making history and are making significant achievements and contributions to White County, Black History Awareness Committee Chair Joe Washington of Searcy, said. In addition to Green, other current and retired educators in White County will participate, along with St. Mary Abuse and Prevention Program (SAPP), Searcy Fire Department, King Solomon Lodge #473, Mitchell Martial Arts, Turning Heads Beauty Salon, Chervonne Catron’s Menagerie Hair Boutique and Searcy Taekwondo Plus. “Our theme for the parade this year is ‘We’ve Come This Far by Faith.’ While we are attempting to highlight the achievements of African-Americans in White County, we also want to highlight the role of faith in Black History. As a result, we were successful with our goal of inclusiveness, and we have a wide range of churches participating in the parade,” Washington said. Some of the churches, which have confirmed their participation, are Bethlehem Baptist Church; the St. Mary choir, stewardesses and stewards; St. John in West Point; Arnold Tabernacle C.M.E.; Christ Temple Holiness; Mt. Arratt Baptist Church; First Christian Church; Pleasant Grove Baptist Church; and New Birth Baptist Church. “I’d like for the public to know this is inclusive of everyone. Just because you aren’t black, it doesn’t mean you aren’t invited. It’s not about black people; it’s about history,” Marva Holiday, a Black History Awareness Committee member, said.

FREE space by Chird Bobbitt