AR HR1057

Irma Hunter Brown served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1981 to 1998 and in the Arkansas Senate from 2003 to 2008, totaling 24 years of legislative service.

She was the first African American woman elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives and the first African American woman elected to the Arkansas Senate.

Brown founded the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus and served as its first chair, and was active in the National Conference of State Legislators and National Black Caucus of State Legislators.

She chaired the City, County, and Local Affairs Committee in the Senate and contributed to legislation reducing the grocery tax by half and promoting early childhood education.

Brown received the ACLU Humanitarian of the Year award in 2007, was recognized for work on the Clean Air Act, was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2019, and continued community service after leaving office.