The Human Rights Commission of Hopkinsville-Christian County is accepting nominations for awards presented annually at the agency’s Unity Breakfast.
The awards go to individuals and organizations that improve the community through a dedication to human relations and the spirit of unity, the agency said in a Facebook post.
Perhaps the best known honor given at the Unity Breakfast is the Hal and Bettye Thurmond Award presented in memory of a local couple recognized for their outstanding efforts to bridge the racial gap in Hopkinsville beginning in the 1950s.
The Thurmonds, posthumous inductees to the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2007, were among the earliest white residents of Hopkinsville to advocate for desegregation and equality. Their advocacy stemmed from their Christian faith, a son, David Thurmond, of Louisville, described in an oral history interview.
Nominations are also being accepted for the following awards:
- Mayor’s and Judge Executive’s Unity Awards — Awarded to individuals or groups who contribute to the spirit of unity.
- Bernard Standard Award for Excellence — Recognizing outstanding service and devotion that goes above and beyond the call of duty by an individual who sets a high standard to make the community better. It is named for a prior executive director of HRC.
- Volunteer of the Year Award — Honoring a volunteer who provides outstanding service in Hopkinsville.
The nomination form and additional information is available here. The deadline for submissions is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27.
The Unity Breakfast, which traditionally attracts several hundred guests, will be Thursday, Oct. 24. This will be the 50th HRC awards breakfast.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
