A retired University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor—an advocate for the Hispanic and Latino communities—will be recognized by Just Communities of Arkansas at its humanitarian awards ceremony. 

UA Little Rock Professor Emeritus of Sociology Terry Richard will be honored at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, at the Jack Stephens Center on UA Little Rock campus. Former UA Little Rock Chancellor Joel Anderson will present the award to Richard.

“I do want to invite my colleagues at UA Little Rock to come to the banquet and help support an organization that develops inclusive programs for both youth and adults in our community,” Richard said.

Since 1964, the Humanitarian Awards Celebration has honored one or more individuals who has demonstrated a significant commitment to building inclusive communities. These honorees have had a meaningful impact in improving social justice and human rights efforts through their work and community service.

Richard is a charter member of the Arkansas Council of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, and has been an active member for more than 35 years. He served as state director from 2013 to 2015 and serves on the LULAC National Education Committee

Richard has demonstrated his passion to help students in the central Arkansas area. As the head of LULAC’s university sponsorship committee, he organized the group’s first scholarship gala, which is now the primary fundraiser for LULAC scholarships in Arkansas.

In the past six years, the organization has distributed more than $250,000 in scholarships and tuition waivers. More than $100,000 has been distributed to UA Little Rock students during this time.  

Richard helped Latino students enroll in college by creating Memorandums of Understanding between LULAC and six college and universities to ensure that students with a financial need can receive scholarships and additional funds.

During his time at UA Little Rock, Richard published a variety of articles related to issues of race and ethnic relations. He served as the chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the graduate coordinator for the master’s program in gerontology. In 2012, he earned the faculty of the year award from the UA Little Rock Student Government Association. He retired from UA Little Rock in December 2016 after 35 years at the university.

For more than 20 years, Richard has worked with his twin brother, Jerry, to fund four endowed scholarships at UA Little Rock. The most recent, the Wesley Trace Richard Memorial Scholarship, is named in honor of Richard’s son, a Marine who died in April from trauma suffered while serving in Iraq.

Richard received his Ph.D. in sociology from North Texas University and his master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. He also received post-doctoral certificates in social work and gerontology at the University of Kentucky and North Texas University.

Tickets to the Humanitarian Awards Celebration are available for purchase online.