What happens when neighbors connect? The community grows.

By Quendy Medlin; Photographs by Brian Chilson

Have you ever felt alone in a crowd? Misunderstood or different from those around you? Wondered if anyone else thought the way you do? I’ve experienced that many times in my life. In fact, I still do on occasion. Being a bit of a loner and an only child, I’ve often accepted this feeling as part of who I am. Many times it’s fine, but sometimes it’s a paralyzing state—filled with anxiety and fear. Recently, I’ve come to realize that this sentiment is something we’ve all experienced at one time or another. The key to overcoming the fear is simple: find like-minded people. They are out there, even if you can’t see them right away. They are often feeling the same isolation as you.

Little did I know, many others in my community were quiet, feeling just as uncertain and alone as I was.

Last year, I found myself overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness and depression. The events unfolding across our country, our state, and within our local community were difficult to watch. I assumed that in my small town of England, Arkansas, few shared my views, as it seemed the majority of voices around me were loudly stating different opinions or worse, apathy. Little did I know, many others in my community were quiet, feeling just as uncertain and alone as I was.

It Started Online and Became Real Life

That all changed, thanks to Bob, a friend from “back in the day.” He helped pull me from that isolation by starting a private Facebook group for people connected to England. The group quickly grew to nearly 150 members. For someone who feels secluded, discovering that so many others share similar thoughts and values is an incredible revelation! It’s also powerful: I am not alone. 

From Sharing Memes to Raising Money

What started as a small online space to share memes and news has transformed into a true community. We’ve created a place of support and encouragement, where people share their thoughts, insights, and perspectives. What began as a small group has grown—and we’re working. We are expanding to include more neighborhood outreach and direct community support.

Some of the initiatives we’re discussing include a blood donation drive, supporting our local school district, launching a “letters to the editor” campaign, and helping the newly established England Library Friends (ELF). We’ve also begun “branding” our group with stickers and signs, fostering a greater sense of unity.

One of our proudest achievements so far is a fundraising project for England’s busy food closet, Christ’s Corner. We set a goal to raise $1,500, which will cover a month of basic supplies for the closet. We asked for help from our Facebook group, and within a little over a month, we reached our goal and presented the check. 

In addition, we’ve worked on grassroots campaigns, including a “get out the vote” initiative. After one sign went up, others followed, and soon, we had signs all over town—where none had been before. The momentum we created not only increased visibility and encouraged our neighbors to vote, but most important? It brought people together and we saw more support. The impact was clear: We are so much stronger together.

New Friends and Less Fear

Our group has fostered new friendships and camaraderie. We’ve had the chance to meet with a state representative for a lively discussion on how everyday people can make a difference. At our second meeting our number grew, and we discussed our goals and mission. We are now scheduling monthly meetings and hope to continue to grow as we celebrate our victories and discuss new, ambitious projects that will benefit our community. We’re inviting legislators and community leaders to speak on key issues that affect our state and how “we the people” can contribute to positive change.

I am no longer paralyzed by fear. What once felt like a hopeless and lonely situation has transformed into something empowering and I’m emboldened by the strength of our group. Thanks to all who have worked tirelessly to grow our group, I feel like I am part of something bigger—a community that not only shares my values but is actively making a difference.

How to Find Your Own Group & Other Helpful Hints

1. Name a thing you care about. (Libraries? Butterflies? Arkansas Strawberries?)
2. Claim a visible space. (Facebook group, coffee shop bulletin board, a front porch.)
3. Do one small thing together! (Just sharing an article about your shared interest counts. Picking up litter is an easy group activity.)

Finding community starts wherever you are. Remember:

• Your people are already there—they’re just waiting for permission to speak up.
• Small actions create big change—our donations to the food pantry strengthens our community. 
• Rural communities have unique power—when you step forward, everyone notices!

Photography by Brian Chilson.

Quendy Gibbins Medlin grew up in England, Arkansas, where she graduated from England High School and then went on to get a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Harding University.  After spending 17 years as a store manager for a couple of successful companies, she pivoted to a career in public education, earning her Master’s in Middle Childhood Education from UALR. Quendy taught 7th grade English in Fort Smith before surprisingly ending up back in her hometown in 2017.  She took the job as the England Elementary School Librarian in 2020 and earned her Master’s in Library Media Information Services from SAU. Following in her mother’s footsteps as a librarian, she loves her students and library.  Quendy also serves as an England city council member and as the secretary for the Friends of the Public Library in England. Outside of work, Quendy loves traveling, reading, writing, exploring with the top down in her beloved Volkswagen convertible, and spending time with friends, family, and her two spoiled dogs.

The post Creating Community: Finding my People in Small Town Arkansas appeared first on Arkansas Strong.

While new, fancy cookbooks with shiny pages and full-color photography remain ensconced on the living room shelves, those old wire- or plastic-combed collections remain closer at hand, at the edge of the counter or in a handy hutch. Their covers are often plainly decorated by someone associated with the book, or a duplicate of other covers offered by one of several fundraising printer companies that served the middle United States over the course of the middle and later 20th century.

Church and community cookbooks have become part of our local culture. Every small town has a sampling, usually from whatever congregations were nearby. They were put together to raise money for functions or buildings and they were bestsellers, in that everyone in town ended up with one. When it wasn’t a church, it was a school or a club or a gathering of friends who put together these tomes that were quick and easy to get printed and which were all but eternal.

Stories in the Recipes

You can tell by some of the entries in these books who the movers and the shakers were. Some cookbooks had a single entry from each person who contributed, but more often there would be one or two superstars that would stand out, proud of their cooking and happy to share. Or, like when my own mom put together Cornerstone Cookery, published by the St. Vincent’s Infirmary Employee Council in 1984, about a third of the recipes ended up coming from my own family when submissions were scarce.

What each and every one of these books did, though, was capture a moment in space and time in a way few other objects could. In an age before the internet, these volumes catalogued the food we all ate from day to day. The more extravagant recipes, usually for desserts or highly regarded holiday entrees, showed what we ate when we were celebrating. The more humble recipes, with their creative instructions on how to assemble a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or what to do while you’re waiting for something to cook, show us humor and the good nature of the people sharing the recipes they know.

Flavors from the Past

In-between, you get a capsule of history particular to the congregation or area in question, the dishes that are most likely to have been served at the table, the things that one generation didn’t want the next generation to forget. Some of those dishes, like the regional Arkansas dish known as Tallerine (usually pronounced TA-lur-EE-nee), all but evaporated by the end of the 20th century. The ground beef and noodles entree usually contained black olives and cheese, along with some sort of additional ingredient, which included everything from small green peas to green bell pepper, diced onions or even sliced tomatoes. It appeared to be a precursor to the commercial Hamburger Helper, and while prevalent under a host of different spellings in mid-century Arkansas cookbooks, all but disappeared by the mid- to late-1980s. 

There were also concoctions, usually salads or side dishes, that were popular back then but would be undesired today, like congealed salads with a base of Jell-O or any variety of pea-and-mayo mixes. Items utilizing SPAM can still be found in cookbooks today, but canned brothers Vienna Sausages and potted meat are frowned upon and excluded in 21st century collections. For young homemakers looking for ways to change up meals in an age when canned foods were on the shelves at their local grocery while convenience foods like TV dinners and frozen pizzas were not, combining what was easily available to create something that stood out was paramount.

A Taste of Arkansas History

Over the past several years, I have been collecting a variety of Arkansas cookbooks, finding them at thrift stores and in the bins at Goodwill, receiving them from families who are rehoming them when loved ones pass, and taking in duplicates from libraries with multiple copies. In my spare time and on days when the weather is too angry to travel, I sit down and read through them, noting common elements to time and regions.

In 2021, I published a cookbook based on these Arkansas community collections, Arkansas Cookery: Retro Recipes from The Natural State. In its 103 recipes gathered from cookbooks from between 1935 and 1985, I hoped to offer a picture of cooking in mid-century Arkansas, what people were eating at home. These were most of the 107 recipes I’d culled from some of those many cookbooks, showcasing recipes that I found through the era. I took them with me to the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, and over the course of 12 days recreated them, redacting recipes with modern equivalents (for instance, noting that the tabs of cream cheese available in the 1950s was three ounces, compared to the 8 ounce block offered today) and photographing them for posterity.

Some items, such as Green Rice, are very popular even today with home cooks in the Arkansas Delta. Others, like Salmon Croquettes and Tomato Aspic, are very rarely seen today. And then there are things like Guacamole Salad, Hush Puppies, and Fried Zucchini that are known worldwide today.

When I research these recipes, I tend to stop at the year 2000. It’s a nice, even point to cut from, and a moment in time when the internet was just really becoming ubiquitous in homes around the world. The combination of the World Wide Web, retailers like Amazon and Walmart, and the sudden availability to anyone, anywhere foodstuffs that had previously been hard to find – like ube sweet potatoes from Japan or besan flour from India – changed our food culture irreversibly, almost overnight. I plan to continue the research and create more compilations as I learn more and open up these veritable time capsules of Arkansas food.

Date Nut Bread

Folks here in Arkansas, particularly in rural communities, would have access to certain foods certain times of the year. When it came to nuts, what you had stored back was usually reliant on what was available close by. The nuts in this recipe could be pecans, walnuts, or hickory nuts. Dates would come dried, like raisins and prunes (dried plums), and could be stored for a long time. Everything in this recipe from Mrs. Jewell Teater, originally printed in a 1954 cookbook by the Women’s Society of Christian Service at Asbury Methodist Church in Little Rock, could conceivably be in the pantry or fridge, ready to whip up – and let me tell you what, it was certainly a wonderful thing to enjoy, with an almost chocolatey consistency and a soft mouthfeel. I love this best the next day, sliced and toasted with butter – and yes, I substitute butter for the margarine.

Green Pea Salad

While it’s not much to look at, this green pea salad was common at gatherings in rural Arkansas when I was a kid in the 1970s. This version appears in Favorite Recipes from Clay County Kitchens (second printing, 1955) and is attributed to Mrs. Otto Elsass, who was part of the Glaub Lone Holly chapter of the Clay County Council of Homemaker Demonstration Clubs.

Kat Robinson is Arkansas’s original culinary traveler, with three PBS programs, thousands of articles, and 13 books on food in The Natural State to her credit. The Emmy-nominated documentary host and food historian is currently working on a history of Arkansas barbecue.

Follow Kat: Facebook | Instagram | www.TieDyeTravels.com

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We’re honored to feature acclaimed poet and Forrest City, Arkansas, native Patricia Spears Jones, who was appointed in 2023 to a two-year term as New York State Poet Laureate. Honored in Little Rock last year with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Porter Fund, she is a recipient of the prestigious Jackson Poetry Prize and grants from both the National Endowment for the Arts and New York Foundation for the Arts. Jones graciously shared a poem from her book The Beloved Community, available through Copper Canyon Press. 

Patricia Spears Jones is a poet, playwright, anthologist, educator, and cultural activist. She is the winner of the 2017 Jackson Poetry Prize from Poets & Writers and the author of A Lucent Fire: New and Selected Poems. Her work is anthologized in African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song; Of Poetry and Protest: From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin; and BAX 2016: Best American Experimental Writing. Her poems have been published in The New Yorker, The Brooklyn Rail, The Ocean State Review, Ms., and Cutthroat, A Journal of the Arts. Patricia Spears Jones edited THINK: Poems for Aretha Franklin’s Inauguration Day Hat and Ordinary Women: An Anthology of New York City Women. Mabou Mines commissioned and produced her plays Mother and Song for New York: What Women Do While Men Sit Knitting. Patricia Spears Jones co-curated the Wednesday Night Series for St. Mark’s Church Poetry Project. She has taught graduate and undergraduate creative writing at Hollins University, Adelphi University, Hunter College, and Barnard College. She leads poetry workshops for the 92nd Street Y, The Workroom, Hugo House, Community of Writers, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, Gemini Ink, and Brooklyn Poets. She organizes the American Poets Congress and is a Senior Fellow Emeritus of the Black Earth Institute.

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Stories with deep roots. Just one email a month.

Editor’s Note: March is celebrated nationally as Women’s History Month. Here in Arkansas, we also recognize March as School Breakfast Month. If you’re familiar with Arkansas School Breakfast Month, it’s likely because of the diligent work of a handful of women who have championed the importance of school breakfast for fifteen years. Thanks to their persistence and patience, next year students in Arkansas schools will have access to free breakfast. The importance of this one small meal cannot be overstated, and it will take another decade to fully appreciate how all of Arkansas will benefit. Thanks, ladies!

The best news for Arkansas this year? Free breakfast for all students. This School Breakfast for All story spans fifteen years and three governors—some wins are worth the wait. 

by Patty Barker, No Kid Hungry Campaign Director
Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance

The Historic Milestone: Senate Bill 59

With her signature, Governor Sanders made Arkansas the first Southern state and first conservative-led state to pass universal free school meal legislation. This is a game-changer for a state ranked by the USDA as the hungriest in the U.S. Ensuring every student has a nutritious breakfast will have a significant impact on students’ health and academic success. Here’s how we became part of Arkansas’s school breakfast miracle.

On February 20, 2025, Governor Sarah Sanders signed into law Senate Bill 59, which will make school breakfast available free of charge to all 470,000-plus public school students in Arkansas, regardless of their family’s income level, beginning in the 2025/26 school year. The bill, sponsored by Senators Jonathan Dismang-R and Clarke Tucker-D, and Representatives Zach Gramlick-R, Tippi McCullough-D, and DeAnn Vaught-R, plus 83 more bipartisan members of the Arkansas Senate and House as co-sponsors, was passed with near-unanimous favorable votes in both houses.

The Beginning: Governor Beebe

In 2010, then-Governor Mike Beebe was asked by Share Our Strength, a national hunger relief nonprofit, to make Arkansas a “proof of concept” state for their No Kid Hungry Campaign, offering funding and technical support to develop a locally-led, five-year campaign to end childhood hunger in Arkansas.

Without hesitation, Governor Beebe agreed. He returned home, called together his cabinet-level leaders overseeing child nutrition programming, along with key child health and education advocates. He reminded them that Arkansas was ranked #1 in childhood hunger and declared the Arkansas No Kid Hungry Campaign a top administrative priority. You could hear a pin drop in the Governor’s conference room when he finished his pronouncement.

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and his wife Ginger provided much needed support as No Kid Hungry kicked off in Arkansas.

Building the Foundation: No Kid Hungry Arkansas

With significant support from Share Our Strength, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance was tapped as lead partner in Arkansas. The goals were clear: increase participation in school breakfast, expand access to afterschool and summer meals, and support families with nutrition education and SNAP access.

Research showed that students who ate a healthy school breakfast had improved attendance, fewer trips to the school nurse, and better concentration and behavior in the classroom. Yet, in 2010, only about half of Arkansas students who ate a free or reduced-price school lunch also ate breakfast. Barriers included social stigma, busy schedules, long cafeteria lines, and kids wanting to play or socialize before school.

The Solution: Breakfast After the Bell

The answer was Breakfast After the Bell (BAB)—serving breakfast as part of the school day through programs like Breakfast in the Classroom, Second Chance Breakfast, and Grab-and-Go. The Arkansas No Kid Hungry Breakfast team, led by Vivian Nicholson, a former child nutrition director, and a handful of breakfast advocates, including former school superintendents and teachers, set off across the state to persuade school districts to adopt BAB programs.

By 2022, breakfast participation had increased by 7.3 million meals—a 27% rise—thanks primarily to BAB programs. The results of implementing BAB programs spoke for themselves: improved student attention, fewer nurse visits, better attendance, and increased federal meal reimbursements. The campaign successfully achieved its goal: 70% of eligible students who ate lunch also began eating breakfast.  

Legislative Wins: Governor Hutchinson

Legislative efforts further supported school breakfast advocacy. In the 2013 and 2015 legislative sessions, the Alliance partnered with several legislators and the Department of Education to establish the Arkansas Meals for Achievement program, which designated funds for grants to support BAB programs in schools that agreed to provide universal free breakfast to all students. Although the program was discontinued, increased meal participation rates were reported and the groundwork was laid for future proposals.

Governor Hutchinson attended Alliance events, toured schools, and encouraged eligible schools to participate in CEP.

In 2015,  with support from Governor Asa Hutchinson, the Alliance worked with the Department of Education to suggest changes to regulations that governed state funding for school districts, paving the way for districts to adopt the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a new USDA meal option which allowed eligible high-need districts to offer universal free school breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of their family income levels. Since the revision, over 75% of eligible Arkansas schools are participating in CEP.

The Pandemic: Challenges and Silver Linings

By 2019, Arkansas ranked fifth in school breakfast participation in the U.S. But in spring 2020, COVID-19 closed schools, and for the next two school years, the pandemic produced many serious challenges for schools and students. Regarding school nutrition, however, there were a few silver linings.

Child nutrition teams across the state stepped up to the challenge and developed innovative ways to serve nutritious meals to their students. In addition to permitting meal delivery flexibilities during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 school years, USDA allowed all students to receive free school meals, providing essentially a two-year universal free school meal pilot program to all school districts in all states.

During the pandemic, school meal participation increased significantly, and food insecurity rates dropped. However, Congress discontinued universal free meals after the pandemic. As a result, schools had to return to pre-pandemic policies, requiring students to meet income qualifications for free meals once again.

Several states took matters into their own hands and passed legislation to require school districts to continue to provide universal free school meals to all their students, but most states, like Arkansas, did not.

A Step Forward: Eliminating Reduced-Price Copays

Many families in Arkansas, where over 64% of students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, were hard-pressed to come up with the funds for either the reduced-price meal copay or the full price of a school meal every day. Families that had grown used to the universal free meal policy during the two full school years of the pandemic did not understand why they again had to pay for meals. With schools required by law to provide a meal to any student asking for one, meal debt balances began to reach record levels—in the tens and hundreds of thousands in larger school districts in Arkansas—and meal participation rates dropped below pre-pandemic levels.

In 2023, to address these issues, the Alliance  team worked with Senators Jonathan Dismang and Clarke Tucker to draft legislation requiring the state to cover the cost of the reduced-price meal copay that was charged to the approximately 49,000 students in that school meal income category. Senator Dismang introduced bills requiring the state to cover the cost of reduced-price meal copays, making meals free for 49,000 students starting in the 2023/2024 school year. Senator Dismang used current funding resources, underscoring the need to address student hunger in a state where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The bills, eventually Acts 656 and 657, passed unanimously in both the Senate and House. Over 55,000 students qualified for those free meals last school year.

A Defining Moment: Governor Sanders

Despite the success of the reduced-price meal measure, Arkansas still was not reaching many of the hungriest students who needed a nutritious start to the school day. And again, in the fall of 2023, USDA released its annual food insecurity report listing Arkansas as the hungriest state in the U.S. 

With that report in hand, then-Alliance CEO Kathy Webb and I requested a meeting with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to highlight several legislative and administrative proposals that could, if implemented, help reduce food insecurity in Arkansas. Governor Sanders, who had already stated her interest in tackling childhood hunger, was receptive and agreed that hungry kids struggle to learn and that they need access to nutritious meals every day.

Governor Sanders supported Arkansas’ participation in Summer EBT and volunteered with her family to help distribution.

Governor Sanders directed the state departments of Human Services and Education to adopt USDA’s newly approved summer nutrition program, Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer), to supplement students’ nutrition needs while school is out. Arkansas was the only Southern, conservative-led state to adopt the program in its inaugural year. According to the governor, over 260,000 Arkansas students received Summer EBT benefits in 2024.

Summer EBT and non-congregate meal programs have been a game-changer for reducing summer hunger and learning loss in rural states. Arkansas Senator John Boozman had long-advocated for non-congregate meals, which allows summer meals to be offered by schools and organizations in flexible ways—multi-meal pick-up, delivery to parks and playgrounds, and even home delivery— in qualifying rural communities.

A Dream Realized: Universal Free Breakfast

After 14 years with universal breakfast as a dream goal of the Arkansas No Kid Hungry Campaign, 2025 marked a historic milestone. Hunger relief champions—Senators Jonathan Dismang and Clarke Tucker, along with Representatives Zack Gramlich, Tippi McCullough, DeAnn Vaught, and 83 additional co-sponsors—introduced Senate Bill 59. This bill will provide universal free school breakfast to every public school student in Arkansas, over 474,000 children, beginning in the 2025/2026 school year.

Through years of collaboration with legislators, state agencies, and school districts, school breakfast champions Patty Barker, Kathy Webb, and Vivian Nicholson helped pave the way for the passage of Senate Bill 59, ensuring free school breakfast for Arkansas school students. 

Governor Sanders announced her support for the measure in her State of the State address on January 14, 2025, prioritizing funding from medical marijuana sales and privilege tax revenue, now collected in a Food Insecurity Fund. This fund will cover the costs of hunger relief programs, including Summer EBT, reduced-price meal copayments, and universal free school breakfast. The measure, now Act 123, passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support in both the Arkansas Senate and House.

Those 474,000 Arkansas kids join us in saying, “Thank you! It was well worth the wait!”

The Alliance thanks Governor Sarah Sanders for prioritizing solutions to childhood hunger in Arkansas, the legislative champions who helped us create lasting policy change for the good, and our steadfast No Kid Hungry partners at Share Our Strength, and our many No Kid Hungry stakeholders who have worked with the Alliance to help move the needle toward food security for all Arkansas families. Working together, continued solutions to hunger can be achieved, ensuring that all Arkansas children have access to the nutritious meals they need to thrive.

Patty joined the staff of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance in September of 2012 to serve as the Campaign Director for the Arkansas No Kid Hungry Campaign.  The Campaign is a unique partnership among the Arkansas Governor’s Office, state agencies, hunger relief agencies and nutrition advocates all working together to alleviate childhood hunger in Arkansas by improving access to nutrition programs and educating families about healthy, affordable food choices. She previously served as the Policy Director for the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, supporting a state-wide citizens’ coalition advocating for improved education, environmental and economic policy.  Patty earned her J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law and her B. A. from Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College).   

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It was in February of 2009 when my friend Amy shared with us, a group of longtime friends, the dreadful news. She needed a new kidney. “Well, it’s certainly not what I wanted to hear,” Amy  sighed. The silence was profound. Amy’s words faded, and the silence grew deafening.

We all spoke at once.

“When does this have to happen?” 

“Are they sure?” 

“Oh no, this is awful!”

 “How can we help you?”  

Amy was no stranger to health challenges following her diagnosis of a rare inherited condition called von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, or VHL. This genetic disorder raises the risk of developing specific types of tumors and cysts.

A tumor was growing on one of her kidneys, and the entire kidney had to go. Over time, the other kidney developed a tumor, too, and was operating at a mere 20% functionality.

In life, it’s essential to have good friends, and this wonderful group of eight women have been close for decades. We supported each other through cancer, the death of a spouse, the loss of one of our members, and a myriad of other ups and downs. Through it all, we leaned on one another. We lightened our burdens. We shared our joys.

The evening we learned of Amy’s fate, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.  I felt a strong desire to do something. I didn’t know exactly what, but… something. 

That night, I went home to research living kidney donors. I wanted all the details—the good, the bad, and the ugly—so I could make an informed decision about whether I would “share my spare.”

A few days into my knowledge gathering, I decided to talk to my husband about it. He was taken aback and immediately urged me not to do it. His reaction came from concern for my safety and long-term health. As we sat together and I shared what I learned, I could see him relax, but only slightly.

Once I had committed myself to donating my kidney, I told Amy and her husband, “I want to be tested to be your donor.” 

At first, Amy was afraid to believe it. A family member had agreed to be tested but then changed their mind at the last minute, leaving Amy feeling sad and betrayed. She worried I might change my mind, too, but I kept reassuring her of my commitment. In my heart, I knew without a doubt it was meant to be and I was confident I would be confirmed a match. 

And I was!

While the transplant process began in February 2009, the actual procedure didn’t occur until August 16, 2012, at Emory University in Atlanta. Shortly after the transplant, Amy learned the “Golden Champ,” as she called her “new” kidney, started working the moment it was placed in and connected. She wanted a name worthy of her gift, referring to her new kidney as a friend.

My organ now belonged to Amy, leaving a void inside me where it once was, but I felt no different without it! This just further confirmed it was meant to be. Years passed, and Amy’s health remained as stable as possible with a rare disease. The Golden Champ was living up to her name!

Early last year, another health crisis reared a very ugly head for Amy. She was diagnosed yet again with another rare affliction, a super-aggressive lung cancer. Amy wasn’t a smoker and was devastated to face another major hiccup in her health. Doctors shared that she would not be a candidate for chemo because of her fragility, and there were little to no other options to stave off this killer. Her exact words were, “F- this rare shit!” I heartily agreed.

Over the following months, our group of longtime friends visited Amy frequently, bringing her favorite foods and dark chocolate treats. Sometimes, we simply sat with her in comforting silence. As her death drew near, we made a point to gather at Amy’s to toast her and reminisce about our friendship. We came together to laugh and remember when we were so silly after indulging in good wine and good food. What a gift it is to have such dear friendships! 

Experiencing a small piece of me dying along with Amy was unsettling, a feeling I had not been prepared for. You know, it’s funny, researching living donors, I rarely found anything that touched on what you might experience if, when your recipient dies.

Initially, I kept my emotions to myself. It felt so selfish of me to mourn the Golden Champ dying alongside my dear friend. After all, it was my gift to her! However, as Amy’s death approached, I became increasingly emotional. I felt angry at myself for even thinking about that kidney, which was no longer mine and hadn’t been for over twelve years. 

How odd it felt! It was difficult to express my feelings; it all seemed surreal and foreign. Loved ones and friends comforted me and gently reminded me that the gift of the Golden Champ lengthened Amy’s life by twelve years. Twelve years full of life and love and friendship. Once again, our circle of friends gave me the solace I needed.

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Cathy May is the Director of SNAP Programs & WIC outreach with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Her work brings her in touch with underserved populations eligible for SNAP benefits but may not be currently enrolled. Her job role also includes training agencies and volunteers to help eligible individuals apply for SNAP benefits and monitor federal legislation that impacts SNAP as well as WIC. Her formal background is in Data Analysis but helping others has always been a priority. She and her husband have 10 acres atop Wye Mountain.

Read the story…

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Amid the towering Blue Cross Blue Shield, Regions, and Simmons Bank buildings that stretch across downtown Little Rock, stands a building on South Gaines Street whose history and significance far surpass the multi-story structures surrounding it—First Missionary Baptist Church. To those unfamiliar, passing by this Gothic Revival-style church, with its colorful mosaic windows next to the brick-layered J.P. Robinson Education and Fellowship Hall, might not prompt much reflection. However, upon closer inspection, the church reveals itself to be a vibrant kaleidoscope of Black American history, filled with hope, triumph, and resilience. This energy fuels the nearly 180-year-old community of worshippers, making it one of the oldest Black churches in Arkansas.

First Missionary Baptist Church at 7th and Gaines streets in downtown Little Rock celebrates 180 years. Photograph by Ebony Blevins.

The church’s roots trace back to 1845, two decades before the passage of the 13th Amendment, thanks to its founder, Reverend Wilson Brown, a self-taught former slave-minister. Driven by a deep desire to spread the teachings of the Bible to both free Blacks and enslaved people in the area, Reverend Brown boldly approached his enslaver, Major Fields, a Baptist minister, with the idea of establishing what they would call the First Negro Baptist Church. At a time when lynchings, brutal beatings, and inhumane treatment were commonplace, it took immense courage for a slave to challenge a slave owner, even one with the title of “minister.” This act of bravery laid the foundation for the church’s ethos of justice and courage, which has guided it for nearly a century and a half.

Even without a physical structure, worshippers gathered in various locations until May 2, 1847, when they began meeting regularly at a brush arbor at the corner of Tenth and Spring Streets in Little Rock. The brush arbor remained their meeting site until the church’s permanent building was erected on land donated by Chester Ashley in 1882. This provided a lasting home for the congregation, a testament to the enduring principles of justice established by Reverend Brown during his initial conversations with Major Fields—well before the abolition of slavery and his eventual 25-year tenure with the church.

The ethos that Reverend Brown established continued to evolve through each succeeding leader of the church and the efforts to grow its congregation. Reverend Reuben White, who followed Brown, expanded the ministry by founding Mount Pleasant—another church birthed out of First Missionary in Little Rock—and also served as a member of the Arkansas Legislature. The next leader, Reverend J.P. Robinson, who served for 50 years, transformed First Missionary into a church dedicated to service, organizing foreign missionary trips, and establishing what became the largest Sunday School in Little Rock at the time. Under his leadership, the church grew into one of the city’s first Black megachurches in the post-WWII era.

The fifth reverend, Reverend Roland Smith, succeeded Reverend E.C. Dyer, and saw the church as a platform for change during a tumultuous period in Little Rock’s history. The church became an anchor for the African American community in the wake of the 1957 Central High School integration crisis, as national demands for equal rights intensified. Reverend Smith, who had close ties to civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was also deeply involved in Little Rock’s political landscape. He eventually became the only African American leader to address the Arkansas Legislature about the horrors of segregation. Each reverend contributed to advancing the church’s vision, adding a crucial piece to the mosaic that represented the church’s spirit.

Under Reverend Smith’s leadership, the church became a beacon for civil rights in Little Rock, drawing the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. In the wake of his incarceration in Birmingham, King wrote his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and was inspired by the church’s commitment to the cause. As a result, King agreed to speak at First Missionary’s 118th anniversary on April 28, 1963. The news of King’s visit stirred the same hostile sentiments that had fueled the abuse of Elizabeth Eckford during the Little Rock Nine protests, and threats of violence quickly surfaced. Despite these threats, the Little Rock police refused to provide protection.

In the face of these challenges, the church took matters into their own hands. The men of the church provided security for King during his visit, while the women offered him food and laundry services, creating a nurturing environment of love, protection, and service. These acts of solidarity became a testament to the strength of the church and the power of community. When King delivered his speech, over 600 people gathered, spilling out of the church and into the streets. His message ignited a wave of hope and action, not just in the church, but throughout the city.

Renee Hubbard, church trustee and lifelong member. Photograph by Ebony Blevins.

“It shined a light on everything we needed to be concerned about—how we could be catalysts in the church for what could be corrected… for us to be involved in the civil rights movement,” says Renee Hubbard, the current trustee of the church, reflecting on witnessing King’s speech at the age of 13. Hubbard, now 74, is a lifelong member with an established familial legacy in the church. “Every time I think about it, I get goosebumps, like I’m there again.” Just four months later, King would deliver one of the most iconic speeches in American history—“I Have a Dream.”

The church’s legacy also attracted the attention of then-Governor Bill Clinton, who spoke at its 145th anniversary just months before announcing his candidacy for president. Clinton paid tribute to the church for its significant role in shaping post-Jim Crow Arkansas, a future that many members had fought for their entire lives. The church’s history also intersects with the broader struggle for African American advancement, as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington had debated the future of Black Americans. Washington even spoke at the church on October 16, 1913, the Sunday after the grand opening of the Mosaic Templars of America building.

All of this history can be seen vividly through the various artifacts and pieces of history in First Missionary Baptist Church, a testament to the church’s evolution through the nearly two centuries. The vibrant stained-glass windows not only illuminate the interior but reflect biblical themes and pivotal moments in the church’s legacy, including its active role in the Civil Rights Movement. Items such as photographs from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s 1963 visit, commemorative plaques honoring events like the Little Rock Nine crisis, and the church’s bell—dating back to 1894—highlights how resilient the community truly is. The original pulpit and pews have witnessed nearly 180 years of sermons, struggles, and triumphs, standing as symbols of unwavering faith and community resilience. Each element within the church tells a story of a legacy built on justice, love, and spiritual perseverance, carrying forward the mission laid out by Reverend Wilson Brown in 1845.

These remnants scattered around the church serve as powerful reminders, not only of the church’s legacy but also of the progress made by the Black community in the United States. Some artifacts were created before Black soldiers could enlist to fight for their country, others before the Civil Rights Act of 1965, and still others before the inauguration of Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States, in 2008. As you walk on the carpet, worn by both the oppressed and the free, the hopeful civil rights fighters and the prestigious university graduates, the church’s four walls seem to expand, encompassing the very spirit of the movement—the alignment of our nation to the true teachings of Christ.

The church’s current pastor, Reverend Cameron Mitchell, a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University, now carries the weight of this dense legacy as the body of Christ. Hubbard says he connects the church’s rich history to modern-day struggles. Through his sermons, the essence of Reverend Mitchell’s ministry echoes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I see the church as the body of Christ, and the body of Christ cannot be a tool for oppression. It must be a liberating force.” (A Testament of Hope, 1986).

As the nation grapples with a regression toward bigotry and hate, it is crucial to distinguish between the teachings of a figure like Jesus and the current tense political environment plagued by Machiavellian leaders who declare themselves “God’s chosen instrument to rescue America.” Some even go as far as to claim divine intervention during tragedies where their supporters are killed in the leader’s proximity, but they survive: “I was saved by God to make America great again.”

In the highly conservative state of Arkansas, which overwhelmingly ranks number 5 out of all 50 states for religiosity, there seems to be a growing cognitive dissonance on the true teachings of the gospel. Those who once preached purity now wholeheartedly support serial adulterers. Churchgoers who can recite Ephesians 4:31-32 by heart now find inspiration in a man who ran an entire campaign promising vengeance against his perceived enemies. In places where the love of one’s neighbor is embedded in religious practice, deep-seated prejudice is often cloaked in the rhetoric of being a vessel for the gospel.

The contradictions and paradoxes of hate seem more pronounced than ever, yet the history of First Missionary Baptist Church reminds us that these paradoxes have long been present. “We’ve seen it all,” says Hubbard. From Baptist minister Major Fields—who “owned” his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ—to the threats of bombings and violence from those who gathered around burning crosses, the fact that a Black church had to be established in the first place due to the segregation of the church itself is a stark reminder that our collective destiny has often been clouded by our irrational humanity.

As we sit alone at night, contemplating the cruelty that has replaced decorum across the country, we might ask: Where do we go from here? Having witnessed both the triumphs and atrocities of the civil rights era, as well as the present-day regressions, Hubbard reflects on the civil rights struggle in the city: “As great as the pain and agony were, the passion and resilience were much stronger.” In this tumultuous moment of American history, we need stories like that of First Missionary Baptist Church—stories of justice, stories of resilience—reminding us of how seemingly impossible victories over hate were somehow achieved. These battles have been fought before, and they have been won.

Through the infinite well of love that extends far beyond the walls of First Missionary, we find the strength to persist in our own struggles. The resilience of this church and its people shows us that even in the darkest times, love and faith can endure, empowering us to continue fighting for a more just and compassionate world.

The church is celebrating its 180th anniversary on April 25, 2025. To celebrate the exhilarating history and future of this church, make a donation to help restoration efforts.

Photography by Ebony Blevins.

SOURCES

1. “First Missionary Baptist Church at 180 | Legacies & Lunch” – YouTube
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stey1wn1lJ4
2. New Growth Springs from Old at Historic Black Church – AY Magazine
   https://aymag.com/new-growth-springs-from-old-at-historic-black-church/
3. First Missionary Baptist Church – Little Rock
   https://www.littlerock.com/directory/first-missionary-baptist-church/
4. First Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas (1845) – BlackPast
   https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/first-missionary-baptist-church-little-rock-arkansas-1845/
5. $3,500 Grant to Help Little Rock Church Preserve History – Arkansas Online
   https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/mar/05/3500-grant-to-help-little-rock-church-preserve/#:~:text=First%20Missionary%20Baptist%20Church%20in%20Little%20Rock%20has%20received%20a,by%20Martin%20Luther%20King%20Jr.
6. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center recognizes vital Black churches that survived the test of time – Northwest Arkansas Online
   https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2022/dec/20/historic-congregations/
7. Evangelicals made a Bad Trade – The Atlantic
   https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/01/evangelicals-trump/681450/
8. “I Have Decided to Stick with Love. Hate is Too Great a Burden to Bear.”
   https://www.11alive.com/article/news/history/mlk-quotes-to-remember/85-f3b29005-e696-4fef-b2e9-c26f229406cd
9. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I see the church as the body of Christ, and the body of Christ cannot be a tool for oppression. It must be a liberating force.” (A Testament of Hope, 1986).
10. How Religious is Your State? – Pew Research
    https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-state/?state=alabama
11. A special thanks to Renee Hubbard, whose guidance and testaments through our conversation not only cultivated the information of this article, but the essence and of the piece as well.
    
    

“My name is MJ Ferguson, and I am studying both African American Studies and Political Science at the University of Arkansas. My passions include writing, research, community service, political activism, and making music! I am a board member for UARK’s Volunteer Action Center, an executive for UARK’s Residents Interhall Congress, a contributing columnist for the Arkansas Traveler, a research assistant manager for UARK’s African American Studies research team (UART), and an upcoming research intern for the University of Michigan’s Summer Research Opportunity Program.” Follow MJ: LinkedIn | Substack | Instagram

The post Black History in Motion: Profound Lessons of Love from First Missionary Baptist Church appeared first on Arkansas Strong.

Jim Guy Tucker was born on June 13, 1943, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He served as Arkansas Attorney General (1973–1977), U.S. Congressman (1977–1979), and Lieutenant Governor (1991–1992) before becoming Governor in 1992 following President Bill Clinton’s resignation and winning a full term in 1994 He left office on July 15, 1996. Former Governor Tucker passed away on February 13, 2025, at the age of 81. A detailed look at his life and career can be found here and here. The Jim Guy Tucker Papers are available at the  University of Arkansas Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture.

With the recent death of Governor Jim Guy Tucker,

I’m flooded with memories of a special time in Arkansas.

by Dawne Vandiver

When Governor Tucker took office, I was selected to serve as executive director of the Democratic Party of Arkansas. Other people had different ideas, but Governor Tucker made the final decision and I was chosen. But I’m not writing about me–this is about a phenomenal time in Arkansas history when two shining stars, two political rivals seen as enemies in Arkansas, led our state and our country simultaneously.

Governor Tucker was all business. He surrounded himself with wise business leaders and energetic young progressives. His agenda, inspired by President Jimmy Carter, encouraged economic growth, relief for the poor, and climate protection. Governor Tucker had a plan for Arkansas and it was an exciting time. 

A visionary, as governor he recognized this was the perfect time in history for America to get to know the Natural State. His agenda was powerful. There was an Arkansan in the oval office. Could the scene have been set any better? 

President William J. Clinton meeting with Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker in the Oval Office
of the White House, October 6, 1993. Photograph by Robert McNeely, National Archives.

Then came the surprise, something completely foreign to us at the time: Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr. What followed was a conviction, a resignation, an attempt to not resign, and finally, a change in the regime. We were in shock and did not know how to handle this new reality.

Hard days followed, yet Governor Tucker never stopped working. He did not hide in a corner and shy away from public life. He mentored and encouraged candidates, attended events and donated money. He never stopped flashing his million-dollar smile.

I wish I thanked him more for the opportunity of a lifetime. He was my dad’s best friend, the son he never had, really. They were inseparable then and if the truth be known, my Dad was instrumental in convincing Governor Tucker to run for Lt. Governor and not challenge incumbent Governor Bill Clinton, who was eyeing the presidency. 

We are a better Arkansas because Governor Tucker stepped aside to let Clinton run for office. Arkansas was in good hands. Yes, they were rivals, but both were working for the good of Arkansas always.

If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me, “If only Jim Guy wasn’t targeted, Arkansas would be different today.” 

I wish with all my heart that I could hear his voice right now. He would explain. He would calm us down. He would remind us that when we are hit the hardest, we fight back. Governor Tucker fought for his life and he lived a long and wonderful one. He loved his wife and children, he loved his friends. Loyalty like his should be duplicated and admired.

Arkansas Governors at the Governor’s Mansion in 1995. Left to right: Dale Bumpers, David Pryor, Jim Guy Tucker,
President William J. Clinton, Frank White, and Sid McMath. Photograph by Sharon Farmer, National Archives.

Would Arkansas be different today? We will never know. What I do know is Governor Tucker fought a good fight. He ran his race and completed his course. Well done, Governor!

Dawne Benafield Vandiver served two different tenures as the executive director of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, was elected Justice of the Peace for District 2 in Pulaski County three times, serving from 2006-2012. Prior to her retirement in 2020, she served on the Arkansas Parole Board for seven years, appointed by Governor Mike Beebe. Dawne resides in Little Rock and enjoys supporting progressive causes  and spending time with her grandchildren.

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Here, their way of life is more than geography. The Franklin County way is community, heritage, and a quiet resilience.

But now, this tranquil corner of the River Valley finds itself at the center of a political storm. Plans to build a 3,000-bed prison on an 815-acre site here have stirred something deep within the community: a determination to protect not just their land but their way of life. Residents who might ordinarily wave from across the way now stand shoulder to shoulder, united in a fight they never asked for but certainly cannot ignore.

A Plan Shrouded in Secrecy

The state’s decision to purchase land for the prison blindsided the people of Charleston, a small town of about 2500 people. Announced on a local radio station in late October, residents were shocked to learn the deal had been in the works for months, with no input from the people who would live in its shadow. By the time the public learned of the prison build, nearly $3 million in state money had already been spent to purchase the land. The wheels of big government were in motion.

Residents quickly organized in response. At a contentious town hall meeting, locals voiced their concerns to state officials they had invited to join. Among them was Charleston resident Jonathan Tedford, whose home sits adjacent to the proposed site. “At the very least, we have a prison we have to look at every day,” Tedford said after a recent legislative hearing. He spoke of his grandfather’s legacy, of land passed down through generations now threatened by a specter of towering fences and razor wire.

Other residents of Charleston have echoed his frustration. “A formal public hearing should have been held before the state committed millions of dollars to a project in Franklin County,” said resident Rosemary Underwood during the packed town hall in the town’s high school gym. The lack of transparency stings for folks in Charleston— not just because of what was done but because of how it was done— without the respect of local consultation or the dignity of inclusion. The state’s maneuvering was not the Franklin County way.

A United Franklin County Front

In response, the community rallied and formed the Franklin County and River Valley Coalition, which actively organizes on Facebook and other social media platforms. These neighbors, once bound by simple proximity, are now united by relentless purpose. They’ve held meetings, launched fundraising campaigns, and presented their case to state lawmakers. They’ve raised questions about the prison’s cost—estimated to balloon far beyond initial projections—and its environmental and economic impact on their community.

“This is one of the most un-American things I have heard since I’ve been down here,” said Sen. Gary Stubblefield, who represents the town in the state senate. Like many residents, Stubblefield expressed frustration over being excluded from the process. “The people of Franklin County, including myself, were cut out from even knowing about something this large happening in our county.”

But it’s clear this fight is about more than money or logistics. It’s about preserving the sanctity of place. Residents worry about what the prison represents: a departure from the values that define them. Hard work, family, faith, and community— they’re the threads that weave together the fabric of Franklin County, and its people are determined to keep them from unraveling.

The Power of People

There’s poetry in the way this small town has come together, a reminder of what it means to belong to a place and to one another. “We’ve been denied a voice,” said coalition member Natalie Cadena during her presentation to the Senate Children and Youth Committee. Through their determination, the people of Franklin County are reclaiming that voice, speaking up not just for themselves but for the values they hold dear.

From quiet conversations in living rooms to impassioned speeches in town halls, Franklin County is demonstrating the power of unity. “If it can happen to us, it can happen anywhere,” reads one coalition message on social media. The people of Franklin County aren’t just fighting against a prison—they’re standing for transparency, accountability, and the right to shape their own future.

A Shared Dream

Though the prison outcome is uncertain, one thing is clear: the people of Franklin County have already won something significant. They’ve reminded Arkansans that even in the face of top-down decisions and bureaucratic indifference, a united community is a force to be reckoned with.

If you believe in the power of community and the right to have a voice in decisions that shape our lives, stand with the people of Franklin County. As the sun sets over Mill Creek Mountain, the shadows grow longer, but so too does the resolve of the people who call this place home. They are Arkansas Strong. Tough, resilient, and deeply rooted.

And they remind us that no matter how steep the climb, there is power in standing together.

The post Franklin County’s righteous fight appeared first on Arkansas Strong.

A man returned home to Ashley County after his service to our country. 

His hands, once calloused from farm work, were now marked by a different kind of labor.

He carried the weight of a soldier. It left small reminders, indelible marks.

In the mornings he would stand with the fields stretched out before him, admiring the amber waves in the early light. The air was crisp and welcoming.

The man was amidst the familiar landscape but felt a stranger. This lines on his face were apparent, ones from service to country, not to land like his mother had wanted. 

The man hummed in his mind: This land is my land, this land is your land.

From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters.

In the house, the man’s walls held memories of simpler time. The day to day solitude was both a comfort and a burden.

The man spent his days tending to the fields and listening to the wind. Nature had a way of offering solace.

He found a companion in a new but old dog, one that reminded him of a beloved friend from long ago.

This land was made for you and me.

In the evenings, the man sat on the porch, looking at the stars that were somehow closer in the Arkansas sky. The constellations were old friends. He knew that, like him, they had witnessed the passage of time.

The man didn’t have the words to describe the things he had seen, the weight he had carried and will carry.

The good people of his hometown didn’t press. They understood the language of silence.

The days turned to weeks; the man found rhythm and place. 

It wasn’t the same as it had been, and he knew he wasn’t the same either.

The fields, the house, the dog, the stars. There’s a gentle healing with the cadence of country life. 

Little by little, the man would find his way back to himself.

I roamed and rambled, and I’ve followed my footsteps

To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts

All around me, a voice was sounding

This land was made for you and me.

The post Homecoming, a Veteran’s Day story appeared first on Arkansas Strong.

In Arkansas and across the nation, book bans are becoming more common.

The American Library Association says there were almost 700 attempts to censor library materials nationwide from January to August, and more than 1,900 challenges of specific book titles.

In Saline County, Patty Hector said she was removed from her position as library director for not banning books.

She said a county judge and Quorum Court wrote a resolution advising her to pick out “harmful” books and move them so children couldn’t access them. Hector said her response led to her being fired.

“There’s no place in the library that people can’t get to. So I said no, and then that was what got me in trouble,” she said. “I said no to them. And you don’t say ‘no’ to a bunch of men. And the books they picked out are LGBTQ and race – two-thirds of them are.”

As Hector described it, a resolution accusing her of fraud “was written by the Saline County Republican Committee.” She added that after the committee reported her for “violating the Freedom of Information Act 90 times,” she had to spend many months answering questions about her job and library expenses.

Hector said the committee also put up a billboard on Interstate 30 that said “Stop X-Rated library books, SalineLibrary.com.”

She said some Arkansas lawmakers worked to pass a bill that would criminalize librarians – but that law was blocked by a federal judge this year.

“Act 372 was going to make it a felony for a librarian to give anybody a book that’s ‘obscene,’ which they couldn’t define,” she said, “and that has been determined by a judge to be unconstitutional.”

Hector noted that several books with topics on sex education and homosexuality were under scrutiny. And a book entitled “The Talk”, about conversations that Black parents have with their children, was another title the committee objected to.

This story is brought to you by the Public News Service, an independent, member-supported news organization.  

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