Arkansas Black Hall of Fame officially announces 2026 inductees, releases ceremony details

The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame officially announced the 2026 class of inductees in Little Rock on Tuesday. The announcement took place at 10 a.m. at the Statehouse Convention Center Rotunda at 101 E. Markham St., according to a news release from the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation. The announcement was made by foundation president Charles Stewart and senior vice president of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau Brian Oaks. A list of inductees was initially released in June. The foundation will honor Joe Marcus Johnson, Frank A. James, Shirley N. Weber, Hazell Reed, Raymond P. Miller and Rebecca "Becky" Finney and Darrell Finney. "This year's honorees have distinguished themselves through achievements in health, sports, business, government, civil rights and education, leaving an indelible mark on Arkansas and the nation," the release said. Stewart and Oaks also announced details for the 32nd annual Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Show, the release said. The 2026 class of inductees will be honored during a ceremony at Robinson Center on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase on the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation website. jsellars@adgnewsroom.com Jacie Sellars is the morning breaking news reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. She joined the newspaper in May 2026 after graduating from Ouachita Baptist University with degrees in multimedia journalism and Spanish.