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Benjamin & Louise Craft Jr. Education Scholarship

The Full Story

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rev. Benjamin Craft Jr was born on February 5, 1939, to the late Benjamin Sr and Margaret Fulton Craft in Jacksonville, Arkansas. He attended and graduated from Pulaski County Public School.

In July of 1953, Benjamin married Louise Johnson, they were married for 51 years until his death on September 11, 2008.

Rev. Craft was a man of God, loved his family, (Craft and his wife Louise had 6 children), and was always trying to help make things better for the people that entered his life. Throughout his life he held many positions and served them well. He was called into the ministry in 1979; he pastored Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Little Rock for 18 years, then he started the Main Street Bible Church which he pastored until his passing. It is hard to put his life in a short biography; his dedication to his wife, family, church and community; the positions and titles he had are too numerous to tell, some of the positions that he held are; he was the 1st President of the NAACP Jacksonville branch, which was organized in November of 1988. During his presidency he was successful in getting the Jacksonville Civil Service Commission to revise the tests given to police and firefighters, which resulted in the hiring of the first black police and firefighters. Also, through Craft’s leadership, attention was focused upon the city’s utility department’s discriminatory practices in granting promotions. The NAACP wrote, "There are many injustices too numerous to print, that Craft called to the attention of the proper authorities. For his devoted service in promoting civil rights issues, Craft is now being saluted as a “Great Warrior”, Craft’s accomplishments left an indelible mark upon the community. "

Rev. Craft received countless commendations, awards and certificates of achievement and appreciation; throughout his life he made a lasting impact on the lives of people he encountered. Many people benefited from his bold and aggressive spirit to go against the grain and attack the injustices that were being done to humankind.

May their legacy live on!

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Sign Up Today!       Deadline is April 26, 2023 

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