Just Communities of Arkansas (JCA) will present its 56th Annual Humanitarian Awards to three Arkansans whose lives demonstrate inspiring dedication to promoting respect and understanding among people of diverse backgrounds and advancing inclusion and equity for marginalized communities.

This year’s honorees are: Ms. Ruth Coker Burks (Rogers), known as the “The Cemetery Angel”, an exemplar of compassion and a pioneering force in HIV/AIDS activism who has spent over 30 years caring for people who were abandoned by their families and neglected by the medical community; Dr. Patricia Griffen (Little Rock), a trailblazing social advocate in the field of mental health, founder and CEO of Clinical Psychology Services, Inc., first African American to receive the Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arkansas; and Mr. Jerry Jones (Little Rock), renowned corporate legal & ethics executive, educational equity pioneer and international thought-leader in alliance-building.

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr and UAMS Professor of Internal Medicine and Assistant Dean of the Undergraduate Clinical Education Dr. Sara Tariq serve as the event’s co-chairs.

The awards celebration will be held on Tuesday, April 30 at the University of Arkansas Little Rock Jack Stephens Center from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will include food drinks, and showcase the mission of JCA