Our monthly speaker series brings newsmakers, policymakers, and seasoned political observers together for a behind-the-scenes look at the most pressing issues facing Arkansas. These lunch lectures raise money for the Arkansas Times Investigative Journalism Project. 100% of the proceeds will support expanding our newsroom, ensuring our capacity to hold leaders accountable and keep Arkansans informed.

With a shifting political landscape and critical decisions looming, the need for in-depth, unbiased reporting has never been greater. Your support enables us to grow our staff and strengthen our investigative capacity, making the Arkansas Times a vital journalistic watchdog.

In-person tickets are $100 and include lunch in the private dining room at the Copper Grill. Attendance is capped at 75, and previous events have sold out—so please don’t wait to secure your seat. Doors open at 11:30, and the Copper Grill buffet begins immediately afterward. The guest speaker will start shortly before noon, followed by a Q&A session. We will wrap up by 1 p.m. Virtual tickets are $50, providing you with Zoom access to the event and the opportunity to stay informed, no matter where you are.

Looking for more information about our Lecture Series? Having trouble with your purchase? Our digital department's contact information is listed below!

support@arktimes.com

501-375-2985

A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Dr. Chris Jones was the first African American major party nominee for Governor of the state Arkansas. His campaign kicked off with an award-winning viral launch video that was the most viewed in the nation during that cycle. He then went on to galvanize a unique coalition of supporters across the state and country.

Dr. Jones’s foundation grounded in the lessons of faith, family, hard work and possibilities that he learned growing up in Arkansas. While he’s done everything from having a paper route to working at Foot Locker, to starting how own business, he always maintained a love for science. This love for science took him to Morehouse College, where he earned physics and math degrees, to NASA where he interned under an astronaut and worked on a plasma rocket ship, and to MIT where he earned two master’s degrees—nuclear engineering and technology and policy—and a Ph.D. in Urban planning. The son of two preachers, his love for Christ drove him to become an ordained minister. His love for community and people opened the door for him to teach high school math, serve as an Assistant Dean for Graduate Education at MIT, run a community-based organization in Boston (The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative), lead a maker space in Arkansas (The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub) and eventually run for Governor of Arkansas. He recently published a 30-day devotional entitled Quantum Pearls. His second devotional (Quantum Pearls 2) will be available this year.

Dr. Jones is currently a candidate for the U.S. House of Representative in Arkansas’s 2nd Congressional District.  More than anything, Chris loves his wife of 23 years, Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, who is an Emergency Medicine physician and veteran of the United States Air Force. Together, they have three beautiful daughters, Jordyn, Janelle, and Jasmine.