Glendora honors Rep. Bennie G. Thompson

JANS – Congressman Bennie Thompson recently visited Glendora to receive two awards: the ETHIC Lifetime Achievement in Civil Rights Leadership and the ETHIC Lifetime Achievement in Civil Rights and the Prevention of Human Wrongs. The awards were presented by Glendora Mayor Johnny B. Thomas and Sharon Hill, executive director of the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center (ETHIC).

“What you do here is the Lord’s work,” Mayor Thomas said to Rep. Thompson. “Your work continues to move us forward, equipped with knowledge, united in purpose, and committed to transforming the future for our youth, families, and communities across the Mississippi Delta.”

Rep. Thompson represents Mississippi’s Second Congressional District. A proud native of Bolton, he has long served communities in the Delta. In 2023 he forwarded legislation to fund a $375,000 Community Project Special Appropriations grant to ETHIC in Glendora. Now awarded, it will be used for improvements and enhancements to the historic ETHIC museum and attached properties, expanding their uses in the community.

The award was given during the closing luncheon of the inaugural ETHIC Youth Summit held April 16-18, 2026, in Greenwood, MS. The ceremony, attended by the Glendora community and ETHIC board members, included presentations by ETHIC Executive Director Sharon Hill; Rep. Tracey T. Rosebud (District 30); George Stewart, education program officer for the Foundation for the Mid South; Gloria Dickerson, founder and CEO of We2Gether Creating Change; and ETHIC Chair, Dr. Everette Penn, who co-founded ETHIC along with Mayor Thomas.

During the ceremony, Penn and Hill awarded Thomas the ETHIC Trailblazer in Community Leadership Award.

ETHIC intends to present two of these awards annually beginning in 2027. They will be renamed the Bennie G. Thompson Lifetime Achievement in Civil Rights Leadership Award and the Johnny B. Thomas Trailblazer in Community Leadership Award in honor of their inaugural recipients.