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Friends,
One of the highlights of the year for my office and all our city employees is National Night Out. This annual event on the first Tuesday of every October is an opportunity for neighbors across Little Rock to enjoy conversation and fellowship together, while also getting to know the dedicated public servants that work for them every day.
National Night Out 2023 is tomorrow! (Tuesday, Oct. 3) and there are 12 locations in Little Rock where you can participate. Neighborhood associations across the City are working in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs, the Little Rock Police Department and other community partners to make National Night Out 2023 successful throughout our community.
National Night Out is truly a celebration of our neighborhoods, all of which have distinct characteristics and rich history. We have more than 200 neighborhoods across Little Rock, yet we all share a common goal to unite, grow and transform our City and make it stronger than it's ever been! National Night Out is the chance to demonstrate our commitment to our community. It's also a time to meet and connect with LRPD officers who serve our City well and keep us safe.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of National Night Out, which takes place in communities in all 50 states, with more than 38 million Americans participating. National Night Out is described as "a community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie." I know that here in Little Rock, it's that and a lot more as we celebrate the spirit of our neighborhoods and take pride in the place we call home.
I hope you'll join an event tomorrow to reconnect with neighbors and meet with city officials and the officers who patrol your neighborhoods.
Here's the schedule for National Night Out festivities in Little Rock:
- Capitol View/Stifft Station Neighborhood Association, Billy Mitchell Boys and Girls Club, 3107 W. Capitol Ave., 6-8 p.m.
- Downtown and SoMa Neighborhood, The Bernice Garden, 1401 S. Main St., 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- East Little Rock Neighborhood Association, East Little Rock Neighborhood Resource Center, 2500 E. 6th St., 5-7 p.m.
- Faith, Love, Hope, Forest Hills, Pine to Woodrow Neighborhood Associations and Goodwill Community Neighborhood Program, Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St., 5:30-7:30 p.m.
- Pankey Neighborhood Association, Josephine Pankey Community Center, 13700 Cantrell Road, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
- Pecan Lake Property Owners Association, Antioch Baptist Church, 5300 Stagecoach Road, 5-8 p.m.
- Pleasant Valley Homeowners Association, St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Road, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
- Pettaway Neighborhood Association, Pettaway Park,515 E. 21st St., 5 -7 p.m.
- Southwest Little Rock Neighborhood Associations, Southwest Community Center, 6401 Baseline Road, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
- South End Neighborhood Association, Thrasher Boys & Girls Club, 3301 S. State St., 5:30-7:30 p.m.
- Twin Lakes A/B Neighborhood Association, Twin Lakes B Community Park, 5-7 p.m.
- Wright Avenue Neighborhood Association, Wright Avenue Neighborhood Resource Center, 1803 Wright Ave., 5-7:30 p.m.
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Photos from National Night Out 2022
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Anniversary of Central High Integration
Last week, on the 66th anniversary of the integration of Little Rock Central High School, seniors from every Little Rock School District school convened at the Robinson Center to hear first-hand from members of the Little Rock Nine about their experiences. It was such an honor and privilege for me, as Little Rock's first elected African American mayor, to hear from these giants of the civil rights movement.
Their bold and courageous actions resonate still today as we continue to fight hate, inequality and injustice in all its forms. I was so encouraged by the conversations between members of the Little Rock Nine and current high school seniors. After witnessing that intergenerational dialogue, I know our future leaders will be emboldened to speak out and work for positive change.
It's always a privilege to work with City Manager Bruce Moore and our team, along with the Little Rock Central National Historic Site, the Little Rock School District and other community organizations to commemorate this important date in the history of our City and our world. I was honored to declare Sept. 25, 2023, as "Little Rock Nine Day" in the City of Little Rock in honor of Melba Pattillo Beals, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Terrence Roberts, Minniejean Brown-Trickey, Thelma Mothershed Wair, and the late Jefferson Thomas.
The University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service also announced a campaign to generate support for a perpetual scholarship endowment in honor of the Little Rock Nine. The school partnered with the Little Rock Nine Foundation in 2013 to launch the scholarship -- the only scholarship that carries the Little Rock Nine's name. The campaign announced last week will make the scholarship permanent, in order to continue the legacy of the Nine. Read more about the scholarship here.
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Members of the Little Rock Nine share their experiences with seniors at Little Rock School District high schools, Sept. 25, 2023.
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Capital Visit
I recently had the privilege to visit the White House for a roundtable among African American mayors and county officials, as well as private-sector leaders, to discuss workforce training and job growth. It was a great opportunity to learn about technical resources available to access programs funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act and discuss best practices for partnerships that will create jobs. In Little Rock, we're committed to ensuring equitable access to jobs for all, and since I took office, we've created more than 10,000 new jobs in the state's capital city.
In addition, I participated in a listening session with Department of Commerce Undersecretary Donald Cravins, Jr. to learn about opportunities to connect Little Rock minority-led businesses with resources available under the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.. I also spent time with other municipal leaders from across the country to identify issues facing America's cities and craft potential solutions to address the challenges.
It's always an honor to represent our city on a national level to ensure Little Rock remains innovative and capitalizes on available federal partnerships and resources.
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Reminder: Volunteer for Little Rock Cares
Our partners at Heart of Arkansas United Way continue to seek volunteers to review and evaluate grant applications from Little Rock residents who are seeking individual assistance from Little Rock Cares. We are distributing more than $400,000 to residents who need help covering expenses for unmet needs connected to the March 31 tornado. Heart of Arkansas United Way serves as the third-party administrator for Little Rock Cares funding.
We're asking Little Rock residents without any conflicts of interest to serve on the Disaster Recovery Grant Committee. The committee will be comprised of several subcommittees that will review funding requests and make recommendations.
Volunteers will be asked to commit about 15 hours during the month of October, including an orientation session and online evaluations of about 20 to 25 applications. The application for volunteers can be found at heartaruw.org/recovery-volunteer. For additional information, email the United Way or call (501) 435-3194.
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The Week Ahead
- The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet today (Monday, Oct. 2) at 6 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. Please note the day-of-week change to Monday from Tuesday because of National Night Out festivities scheduled for Tuesday. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock Facebook and YouTube pages.
- The Little Rock Historic District Commission holds its monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St. The Historic District Commission reviews requests for changes to properties within the historic district.
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As always, stay up to date with what's happening in the City on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram via @citylittlerock. You can also email me at mayorscott@littlerock.gov or call my office at 501.371.4744.
I appreciate you!
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