Award Ceremony for family of Willa B. Brown

GLASGOW, Ky.- Family members of the first African American pilot in the United States have received special award in Glasgow Tuesday.

Willa B. Brown was an ambitious woman. She was an American Aviator, lobbyist, teacher and civil rights activist and she was from Glasgow, Kentucky.

Family, friends and other members of the community gathered at the South-Central Kentucky Cultural Center for a ceremony acknowledging Brown as a pioneer.

Speakers included Glasgow Mayor, Harold Armstrong and descendants of Brown.

Family members were presented with the very first Will B. Brown Pioneer Life Award at the ceremony.

The event’s organizer said, it’s an award that will be given out to other innovative women in the future.

“What we want to do is inspire ladies to continue to be the first. This is why this award was established. To be given out every year to a young lady who has been the first, doesn’t matter which color or what race,” said Ronald Burrell, organizer of the Willa B. Brown Pioneer ceremony.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart Heartland Chapter #67 is responsible for the event.