Southern Living Magazine Visits Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com

Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com owner, Kerry McCoy, met with Southern Living’s photographer, John O’Hagan this past February. Mr. O’Hagan is a true professional. He took photos at Flagandbanner.com’s location in Downtown Little Rock. Photo shoots of Kerry happened in the Dreamland Ballroom where they talked about her plans of renovation, to other areas of the building in production departments, offices and even family shots with the resident grand baby.

Southern Living has got it going on, no rushing around to get a story, they work well in advance. Three months later, on a beautiful Saturday in May, brought a visit from Farah Austin, one of Southern Living’s writer. After touring FlagandBanner.com, Kerry invited Farah and her friend James to her home, where Kerry’s husband cooked his venison burgers on the grill and served lunch, with their 4 children, on the front porch. The weather, food and company couldn’t have been better.

Look for FlagandBanner.com to appear in Southern Living in 2008. The exact month is yet to be announced.

Street party at FlagandBanner.com headquarters

Ninth Street once again became an entertainment district on Saturday, May 20 as Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center hosted “The 9th Street Block Party.” In celebration of Arkansas Heritage Month, sponsored by the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the street was blocked off at West Ninth and State Streets and filled with musicians, artists and food vendors, and was a lively scene for families and people of all ages.

Entertainment and activities scheduled throughout the day included:

• Jazz blues, gospel, and hip hop musical acts
• Performing artists
• Memory Booth – locals brought their stories and photos of the 9th St community which was documented on film by Dempsey Film Group of Little Rock
• Local and regional artists
• Community information from Little Rock Fire Department and MEMS Ambulance Services
• Food from Pokey D’s, Margo’s Diner and Vino’s
• Kid’s activities
• Free admission, popcorn, cold drinks and cotton candy

Ninth Street, anchored by the Mosaic Templars Headquarters Building and Taborian Hall (now home to Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com), was a thriving arts and entertainment district during the first half of the twentieth century. The modern organizations joined together to host an event that highlighted that legacy. Arkansas Flagandbanner.com offers commemorative Dreamland Ballroom t-shirts for promoting awareness of the historic dance hall.

Everyone brought their blankets and lawn chairs and enjoyed an entertaining day!

Lunchtime Lecture: “African American Fraternal Organizations in Little Rock and Arkansas, 1830-1930”

FlagandBanner.com and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, co-hosted a program entitled, “African American Fraternal Organizations in Little Rock and Arkansas, 1870-1930,” on Monday, February 27, in the FlagandBanner.com headquarters at 800 W. 9th Street.

Blake Wintory, research and interpretation director for the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, presented a program that discussed African American fraternal organizations, including the Mosaic Templars of America, the Knights and Daughters of Tabor which were formerly headquartered in Taborian Hall, the Knights of Pythias, the Odd Fellows and the Masons. Since 1992 Taborian Hall has been home to Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com.

Kerry McCoy, owner of Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com, followed up with insights on Taborian Hall and the plans to restore its third-floor auditorium. After the lecture, McCoy lead a tour of Taborian Hall. Attendees were invited to bring a lunch and soft drinks were provided.

Book Signing in Historical Downtown Little Rock

Little Rock’s history comes alive in Berna Love’s new release. Local author Berna J. Love documents the vivid history of downtown in END OF THE LINE: A History of Little Rock’s West Ninth Street. From an emancipation shantytown and lynching through the heyday of “little Harlem” and the death knell of Urban Renewal, The Line was the civic, social and commercial center of a world held back by the fears, laws and ignorance of segregation. Walk down The Line, and be enthralled by the sights, sounds and smells of the thriving African-American society not defined just by street names and numbers.

The Line: a survivor of wars, the Klan, Jim Crow, the Depression and the Great Migration but demolished in the name of progress. Less than a handful of buildings stand as a testament to this span of time and the significant contribution of these people integral to the history of Little Rock, Arkansas.

One of the remaining buildings, the Taborian Hall was built in 1917 on 800 West Ninth Street and refurbished in 1991 by local business owner Kerry McCoy. The Taborian Hall is now home of Arkansas FlagandBanner.com, a full-service custom flag and banner manufacturer as well as a specialty gift store offering unique and hard-to-find patriotic items to a worldwide audience, via the Internet.

Ms. Love will be at Arkansas FlagandBanner.com to sign books and visit with history buffs on Friday, April 9, 2004 from 3 to 6 pm. Refreshments will be served and in-house specials will be offered to commemorate the occasion.