Retired Hopkinsville educator, gospel musician and entrepreneur Linda Pearson is the recipient of the 2024 Fannie Bronson Postell Woman of the Year Award.
The award given annually by the Human Rights Commission was announced Thursday evening at Milkweed Health & Harmony Emporium during the Women’s History Month celebration. Pearson wasn’t able to attend the ceremony, so her daughter, Hopkinsville Community College President Dr. Alissa Young, accepted the award on her behalf.
A graduate of Attucks High School, Pearson worked in local public schools for more than 30 years. In the late 1980s, she established Gospel Sounds and More on Walnut Street.
Pearson is known as a tireless advocate for students, musicians and others. Many people in the community have benefitted from her encouragement and the example she set, the commission noted in presenting the award.
Thursday’s event also included the announcement of three recipients for the Women Educating Women Scholarships.
First place and $500 went to Caroline Payne. Second place and $300 was awarded to Kylie Batts, and third place with $200 was presented to Haylee Jarosz.
The scholarship awards were based on academic performance and on essays that the students wrote about inspirational women, following the theme for this year’s Women’s History Month — “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.”
Payne wrote about feminist author and Hopkinsville native bell hooks. Batts wrote about Nikki Chambers, water treatment plant supervisor for the Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority and board chair for the Human Rights Commission. Jarosz wrote about Anita Decker and Patricia Krowicki, the first female delegates to the National FFA Convention.
The Women Educating Women scholarships are funded by community donations, and in the past the commission has received enough donations to fund one scholarship. A large boost in donations this year made it possible to award three scholarships.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
