First Missionary Baptist Church is home to one of Arkansas&rsquo\; oldest Black congregations\, having been founded in 1845 by an enslaved ma n\, Reverend Wilson Brown. The current red brick Gothic Revival building w as constructed in 1882 by formerly enslaved craftsmen. Linked to Little Ro ck&rsquo\;s historic 9th Street corridor\, the church was a vital center f or civil rights activism. It hosted influential speakers\, including Booke r T. Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King\, Jr.\, who preached from its p ulpit in 1963. This magnificent National Register-listed building continue s to serve its active congregation today.
\n END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR