Meet Antwan

Background

My conviction that better is made possible through belief was ignited when I was young. I experienced economic and familial instability that caused me to move across the city throughout my childhood. Then at age 13, I experienced the loss of my mother and lived on my own for a period of time. Despite the obstacles I faced early on, I was propelled by the belief that my life could get better, and I could be better.

I graduated from McClellan High School, then went on to earn a degree in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. I then returned home and successfully graduated from the Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I have been a successful attorney with a Little Rock law firm, Wright Lindsey & Jennings, for more than 10 years.

I’ve been lucky enough to be married to Taneesha Phillips for ten years. It is because of Taneesha’s support that I’ve been able to devote my time and talents to our City. Without her allowing me the space to demonstrate my commitment to Little Rock, this exploratory campaign would not be possible. I’m forever grateful for her sacrifice and our joint goal of creating a better Little Rock.

“When we believe, we act. When I was in the eighth grade, I made the decision to believe in me. It did not happen because I was an astute eighth-grader, but because life circumstances made it necessary. At the start of eighth grade, I moved into a new household and started at a new school. It was a struggle trying to fit into my new surroundings.”

Careers

Public Service

I am an alumnus of the Arkansas Commitment Program and returned to the program to pay it forward in a mentorship capacity. As a mentor, I encouraged African-American high school students in Central Arkansas to become college-ready in order to increase the number of African-American students successfully transitioning from high school to college. I am also a past President of the Public Education Foundation of Little Rock and a past President of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas Board of Directors. In addition, I was appointed by the State Board of Education to serve as a member of the Little Rock Area Public Education Stakeholders Group to study and develop strategies to improve the quality of public education in Little Rock. In 2017, I co-founded the Friends and Alumni of McClellan Foundation to provide scholarships for graduating seniors from my beloved alma mater, John L. McClellan High School.

I was also selected as one of the co-chairs for Think Big Little Rock, a group established by Fifty for the Future and the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, which is charged with strategizing ways to enhance the quality of life in Little Rock and the surrounding communities. I’m also an alumnus of Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership.

I also regularly contribute to the Arkansas Times on legal and education-related issues. In addition, in 2017, I launched the RockTheCulture podcast to provide perspective and conversation on all things Little Rock. I previously served as an adjunct professor at the Bowen School of Law, where I taught a course on Sports Law.