Mike Lester headlines ANC Black History program

Arkansas Northeastern College celebrated Black History Month on Monday, Feb. 24, at the Adams/Vines Recital Hall on the Blytheville campus. Mike Lester, radio host, was the keynote speaker with the theme “Drawing from the Well of Hope.”

The guest speaker was Mike Lester, local radio host.

“I thank God for being here,” Lester said.

Lester talked about the Well of Hope, his family, his career and his community.

“Drawing from the Well of Hope made me think about the first house I remember,” Lester said. “It did not have running water. We got our water from a next door neighbor.”

He said he was the eighth child and the only boy in the family. He talked about growing up with all his sisters.

He talked about his career.

“It all started when I was in high school,” he said. “One of my classmates and his family owned a bait shop on south Ruddle Road. He came to class and said the radio stations, KLCN nd KHLS, wanted to know why teenagers were not listening to them. I thought I had the answer and the answer was me. I had been spinning records at dances and parties. I applied for a job.”

He talked about applying for a job with Harold Sudbury, Jr. with the radio station where he learned to love country and contemporary music. His first job was learning to be a board operator. He learned a lot from the veteran broadcasters.

When the steel mill came to Blytheville he worked there for several years. One day he got a call from Ed White about hosting on the radio. That was in 1998, 26 years ago this month.

Lester said his career had allowed him to meet many interesting people including doctors, authors, musicians, candidates and more.

He said Negro History Week started in 1926 and graduated from that term to Black History Month.

“I embrace the term,” Lester said. “I love being black.”

He said history is someone’s story.

“Black people are an intricate part of this nation,” he said. “Creating history is what we do. We should learn from history. Create in yourselves a quest for knowledge. To the young people here, I say create your history, learn ours and learn from it. Some history need not be repeated…

“When you do you’ll find yourself standing on the shoulders of many who have gone before you. You’ll then be less likely to let their efforts be in vain. Personally I stand on many shoulders. First, my family. I stand on the shoulders of people like pediatrician Dr. Anes Abraham, who took care of my kids when they were hurt or sick. She is also a founding member of Mississippi County Juneteenth Committee; Dr. Valencia Andrews-Pirtle, Mississippi County Health officer and Mississippi County Juneteenth Committee, president; Dr. Chimere Ashley-Hammett, who is an authoritative speaker on health matters as well as a practicing physician; former state representative and former Osceola Councilman, Tommy Baker; the late Robert Campbell, who was the president of AAMOD; former assistant principal, coach dean of students, pastor and quorum court member, the late Rev. Alvin Clay. Back in the day, he owned a fleet of ice cream trucks, one of which I drove; Ivory Diamond who served as Blytheville’s first Black fire marshal and subsequently became the first Black fire chief. I am talking about local historical type Black people whose shoulders I stand on. I know I will omit somebody but I appreciate every shoulder, including those of the late Rev. Lawrence Echols, founder of the Blytheville Community Samaritan Ministries still serving this community; former state representative and current mayor of Osceola, Joe Harris Jr.; civil service member, the late Gene Henton, who served on the Blytheville School Board; former Blytheville Councilman and state representative Monte Hodges; the late Mylas and wife, Sue Jeffers; Idell Jenkins; Councilman R.L. Jones; Priscilla Johnson; Jesse King, Blytheville’s first Black chief of police; the current mayor of Blytheville, Melisa Logan, Blytheville’s first female mayor who happens to be Black. The late Rev. Emmanuel Loftin; the late William Matthews; the late Lavester, Sr. and Lucretia McDonald; the late Bennie Nichols, who probably did as good a job laying out the blueprint for fatherhood as being a master plumber, and his legacy lives on with his sons who have followed in his footsteps. I could go on indefinitely, but I’ll bring this part to a close. But give me another moment to mention the late Dr. King H. and Dr. Helen Nunn, my very first dentist and my ally in the Mississippi County Back Cultural Association, respectively Dr. Helen Nunn was very instrumental in setting up the interview with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

“Others include James Sanders who was the first Black mayor of this city. He was also the first Black sheriff of Mississippi County as well as a former councilman. The late Clayton Times was a business owner and one of the pioneer Black city councilmen. The prosecuting attorney is Curtis Walker, Jr. This is all from my community.

“I am inspired by the folks I’ve mentioned to you today and I stand on their shoulders. That makes me much taller than I would, otherwise, be. Many of you do, too. I just hope that by the time the sunset comes for me, someone can say they are standing on mine.”

He closed by encouraging the audience to celebrate Black History Month all year long.

Dr. Heigle thanked the speaker and everyone for their attendance. He encouraged the young people to register to vote. He also said he hoped they would come to ANC and let them help launch their careers. He said he had high expectations for the young people to step up and be strong, fierce advocates.