An open house and tour of the new Arts & Entertainment District in El Dorado will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday. The new district will center around Cedar, Locust, Jefferson and Hill streets near downtown El Dorado.
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The Rhythm of HBCUs Black History Month celebration will continue today with performances by school choirs from Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock and Shorter College in North Little Rock at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively, in the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, 100 W. Eighth. Another concert by both schools is set for 6:30 p.m. today at Douglas Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 969 Smackover Hwy. Special guests will be the Rev. Bryan Smith of Hot Springs and Flower Hill Baptist Church and choir of Keatchi, Louisiana. The events are free and open to the public. Artifacts and other historical items highlighting African-American culture and history will be on display during the events.
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The Rhythm of HBCUs Rhythm of Life Banquet is set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Econolodge Conference Center, 1920 Junction City Road. The keynote address will be delivered by Karen Wortham, certified historian and tour director and owner of Journey by Faith of Savannah, Georgia. Wortham is also the historian of First African Baptist Church in Savannah. The church is believed to be the oldest black Baptist church in North America. Arkansas Baptist College and Philander Smith College, both in Little Rock, will also perform during the banquet. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the door or in advance. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Carolyn Williams at 870-881-0443, Bishop George Calloway at 870-881-1317 or Janice Bush at 870-863-4437.
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African-American Heritage Week will wrap up with a Youth Summit that will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in the South Arkansas Community College gymnasium on the college’s west campus, 300 South West Ave. The theme of the summit is “Repairing the Breach.” SouthArk and First Baptist Church-Cordell are presenting the event. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the opening will follow at 9 a.m. Morning breakout sessions will start at 9:25 a.m. At 11:15 a.m., Zion Watch Baptist Church Puppet Ministry will present a show based on the theme of the summit. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and afternoon breakout sessions will commence at 12:20 p.m. A wrap-up meeting is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. The first 100 attendees will receive a free T-shirt. For more information, call Veronda Tatum at 870-864-7133 or First Baptist Church-Cordell at 870-863-8328.