New book to be star at Black Hall of Fame gala

Poet Maya Angelou was once editor of a weekly Egyptian newspaper.

Before becoming known by his current nickname, jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders was known as "Little Rock."

R&B singer Ne-Yo got his name from the main character in the Matrix movies.

These are just a few of the tidbits to be learned about some of the most celebrated figures in Arkansas history in a new book. Seeds of Genius: Twenty-Five Years of the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame by event co-founder Charles O. Stewart is a hardback coffee-table book commemorating the Black Hall of Fame induction ceremony and gala.

Georgia C. Walton is editor of the book, which was compiled by the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture and published by the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. The book, $40, is available at arblackhalloffame.org. It will also be on sale at the 25th anniversary gala, which takes place Saturday at the Robinson Center Performance Hall.

This year's event, to which all living inductees have been invited, will not have any inductions. A variety-show format will include music, dance, comedy, inspirational messages and more.

Released in September and bearing a foreword by 2006 inductee and noted physics professor Oliver Baker, the book's colorful jacket was designed by past honoree Henri Linton Jr. Portraits of inductees make up a subtle background for a Black Hall of Fame silver-anniversary logo over an image of the state Capitol.

A history of the Black Hall of Fame credits Stewart and Patricia Goodwin-McCullough with founding it on Sept. 9, 1992, and describes its mission as one "to annually recognize the accomplishments and contributions of black Arkansans who have achieved national and international acclaim in their chosen fields of endeavor." Inductions began in 1993 with Ernest Green of the Little Rock Nine, former Democratic National Committee chairman Lottie Shackelford, Ebony/Jet publisher John H. Johnson, Angelou, civil rights activist Daisy Bates and noted Little Rock physician Dr. George William Stanley Ish.

Originally a fundraiser for the Arkansas Regional Minority Business Supplier Development Council, the event's proceeds now fund the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation, which awards grants to other nonprofit organizations working to help underserved communities.

The book has photos and biographies of inductees, divided by year. Among the more famous honorees: former Miss America Dr. Debbye Turner; the late jazz musicians Art Porter Sr. and Art Porter Jr.; former Harlem Globetrotter Hubert "Geese" Ausbie; former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders; former U.S. Transportation secretary Rodney E. Slater; actresses Phyllis Yvonne Stickney and Lela Rochon Fuqua; the late civil rights activist Ozell Sutton; Stax Records executive Al Bell; theologian James H. Cone; syndicated columnist and author Deborah Mathis; Major League Baseball greats Lou Brock and Torii Hunter; the Little Rock Nine; comedians Sheryl Underwood and Luenell Batson (who will be master of ceremonies for Saturday's gala); former NBA players Sidney Moncrief and Derek Fisher; former NFL players Keith Jackson, Willie Roaf and the late Cortez Kennedy; vocalists Smokie Norful, Anita M. Pointer, Lenny Williams, Bobby Rush and the late Johnnie Taylor; and the event's most famous nonblack inductee, former President Bill Clinton.

Stewart says it was at the 20th anniversary induction that "I started thinking about the fact that 25 would be a big year for us and what would be some of the things that we could do." The Hall of Fame committee began working with the Butler Center in 2014 to outline the concept of the book.

Several of the stories in the book resonate with him, Stewart says. One is that of Dr. Samuel Kountz, who came from a one-room school in Lexa to perfect the technique of kidney transplantation.

"He, according to his test scores, really should not have had entry at Arkansas AM&N, but because president (Lawrence) Davis saw something in him, he let him in," Stewart says.

Another was that of Rosemary McCoy, originally from Oneida. "She wrote over 800 songs that are recorded by some 300-plus artists," including Elvis Presley, Eartha Kitt and Ray Charles, Stewart points out.

"That's why we call this thing Seeds of Genius -- because we don't know in what minds God plants seeds of genius that, if cultivated and given the opportunity, just makes [for] amazing accomplishments."

They wanted to go beyond the biographies originally printed in the Black Hall of Fame souvenir programs, he says. At the same time, "we knew that unless we wanted a 1,500-page book we had to have some limits" on what they could include on one individual.

Entries in the book are referenced to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, where more material on the inductees can be found. "And there's a lesson plan for each entry as well," Stewart says. "We're hoping to get this book in ... schools around the state of Arkansas so they can be used as a resource for Arkansas and African-American history."

Style on 10/22/2017