Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — April 25, 2025 — Community leaders and members gathered Friday to celebrate Social Justice and Equality Day.

The event, hosted at the Veterans Village, featured keynote speakers Ime Elugbe, a minister with Fishers of Men Diplomatic Ministries; president of the Craighead County chapter of the NAACP, Shamal Carter; and Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott.

Tony Thomas, chief operating officer for the city, also issued a proclamation on behalf of Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver proclaiming April 25 as Social Justice and Equality Day.

Social Justice and Equality Day has been celebrated in Jonesboro for the past three years. Additionally, in celebration of the day, fares for the Jonesboro Economical System buses and trollies were free.

“The City of Jonesboro stands united in its commitment to promote fairness, dignity and opportunity for all individuals; striving for a society where individuals are treated fairly and have equal opportunities,” Thomas said. “We also must reaffirm our commitment to creating a more just and equitable society … there is yet work to do.”

Carter spoke against the Supreme Court striking down affirmative action in college admissions, state legislation in Arkansas aiming to place the State Library Board under the Department of Education, and anti-drag and LGBTQ+ legislation in Tennessee. He said citizens needed to involve themselves in state and local politics and speak out when they wanted to see change.

“We must be louder than our oppressor and stronger than our fear. We must speak up when silence is expected,” Carter said. “We must vote when they try to suppress us and we must lead when others hesitate. We must love boldly in a time of hate. We must fight, but not with our fists. We must fight with faith and with vision.”

Elugbe also spoke about Fishers of Men Diplomatic Ministries. Historically, Social Justice and Equality Day has been hosted and sponsored by faith-based Future for Felons, an organization aiming to help secure jobs for felons getting out of jail. This year, Fishers of Men sponsored the event. Elugbe was a leader within Future for Felons.

Elugbe said the original vision with Future for Felons has expanded and broadened. It is now a program run under Fishers of Men, which also helps registered sex offenders and people facing drug addiction.

“What God said to me is ‘I’m sending you to a people who, although society has condemned them, I have not,'” Elugbe said. “It is God’s desire that they will be restored and that nobody is beyond the forgiveness of God.”

Those involved in the program will be housed in a facility outside of city limits to comply with sex offender registration requirements, which dictate that an offender cannot live within a certain number of feet from a public facility like a school, daycare or park.

Elliott called on those in attendance to get more involved in their communities and speak with their city leaders if they felt something wasn’t being done.

“Community involvement, it’s slowly filtering away. That’s a shame, if that continues, that’s where we’re going to be in a few years. We’re going to be sitting at home, starting all over like we did in the ’50s and ’60s,” Elliott said. “You help people out, you find somebody, and you get them off a path of wrong and get them to the right, that is my gratification.”

The full event was livestreamed on KLEK 102.5 FM’s Facebook. Click here to watch it.