The mission of the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, a division of the Arkansas Department of Education, is to promote and preserve the life and legacy of Dr. King in our state; and to promote the principles of nonviolence and equality among all citizens. Our community outreach projects are designed to promote education, an appreciation for history, and to encourage youth to engage in positive leadership development and roles within their communities.

The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission works directly with communities across the state to promote the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These programming efforts are a way to help the youth achieve Dr. King’s dream of understanding and acceptance of nonviolence and human equality through building common unity among all Arkansans. The Commission will host a Back to School Statewide Supply Tour, Saturday, August 14, 2022, 12:00 PM-3:00 PM at various locations throughout the state. Free school supplies will be distributed simultaneously at each location on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. The Commission partners with several organizations to host nonpartisan activities throughout the state.

“This is our fifth annual “Back to School” Supply Tour. We rotate cities throughout all four congressional districts. We are pleased to once again partner with WalMart to provide hundreds of families school supplies for the upcoming school year. In partnership with US Bank, we will also provide information on financial literacy and home buying for kids to take home to families. We feel as though we can reach families through kids, after all, this an opportunity for families to come together. With supply chain interruptions and inflations, this will help parents get a jump on school supplies ahead of the school year, says DuShun Scarbrough. This is great relief for parents who may already have challenges buying food, clothes, and getting haircuts for children. What’s even more remarkable for this event is that we’ve added rural locations in Arkansas where the outreach is greatly needed.”