Chosen from across Anne Arundel County, six trailblazing women will be honored during the 101st birthday celebration of the late civil rights heroine, Fannie Lou Hamer at the 23rd Annual Fannie Lou Hamer Awards Reception on Sunday October 6, 2019 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Frances Scott Key Auditorium at St. John’s College in Annapolis.
Michelle Coates Senior Vice President and Treasury Management Sales Manager at Howard Bank. She recently joined the Board of Directors of Maryland Council of Economic Education Association.
Panayiotis Kanelos, the president of St. Johns College will offer welcoming remarks and a concluding dinner with wine will be served.
Rosalind Hill-Cane Licensed social worker and has worked for the Department of Human Services for 27 years, supporting the Consolidated Family Services, the Treatment Foster Care Program.
Fannie Lou Hamer, 1917-1977, was an American voting rights activist, civil rights leader, and philanthropist. The awards that bear her name recognize women from various racial backgrounds who, while not necessarily household names have excelled in their chosen field while working diligently to improve civil and human rights in the region.
Vaness Bright Founder and president of BeeHavin’ LLC and the founder and executive director of the Maryland Reentry Resource Center.
Known for impacting their community— whether through social justice or historical outreach— each woman has made a lasting mark on Anne Arundel County. All of this year’s honorees— Vanessa Bright; Dr. Pamela Brown; Michelle Coates; Rosalind Hill-Cane; Linda Mundy; and Barbara Palmer— join the ranks of more than 100 notable women, including former Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Administrative Law Judge Tracey Warren Parker, and former Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer, who were nominated in years past.
Dr. Pamela Brown Executive Director for Anne Arundel County Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families in Annapolis
In the spirit of Hamer, honoree Dr. Pamela Brown has made community service her career for the past two decades, working primarily with at-risk children and families in the community.
Helped launch the Arundel Connected Together (ACT), where she served as the organization’s first treasurer, and continues to serve on the Strategy Team.
Honoree Linda Mundy was instrumental in funding the Annapolis Trust, which provides scholarships and mentoring for low-income students. Barbara Palmer left a major airline to support the nonprofit sector, serving in various capacities and eventually establishing her own non-profit daycare.
“These women exemplify the leadership Ms. Hamer brought to the Civil Rights movement,” said Carl Snowden, chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee. “Their commitment to the Anne Arundel County community is humbling, and we thank them for their service. We are thrilled to take this evening, on the 101st birthday of Ms. Hamer, to honor and celebrate this champion for economic and social justice, and the women she inspired.”
Each year, a committee of community residents choose six outstanding women from a list of nominees who live and/or or work in Anne Arundel County. Anne Arundel is the only jurisdiction in the State of Maryland to celebrate Hamer’s memory with awards of this nature
Sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Anne Arundel County and co-sponsored by St. Johns College, tickets for the event are $35 in advance at www.mlkjrmd.org and will also be available at the door. For more information, call 301-538-6353 or 410-419-2208 or e-mail arankin58@hotmail.com