The Trailblazers Organizing Committee has honored members of Bowling Green’s Black community for their contributions to education, entrepreneurship, leadership and more for over two decades.

The 27th annual Trailblazers for Black History ceremony, held Sunday at Seventh Street Baptist Church, honored five people and a youth organization while showing off skits from friends, family and fellow congregates.

“These are just ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things right here in the community, and a lot of people just aren’t aware,” Committee Chairperson Leisha Carr said. “We want to make sure that people are aware of what Black men and Black women are doing here in our community.”

The five award recipients honored Sunday were Chase Carpenter, Shannah Dixon, Shante’ Galloway, David Greer and Shawn Sales.

Carpenter, recognized for his entrepreneurship, owns Bundles of Joy Preschool, One Roof Event Space, Short Term Rentals, Likeusacad.com and other businesses. He is also a mentor for the Jonesville Academy and was selected as Mentor of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

Dixon, awarded for her administrative leadership, is director of education with the Housing Authority of Bowling Green and an Air Force veteran. She has served on the Bowling Green/Warren County Public Library board of directors, Girls Inc. board of directors, the educational advisory council for Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center and the MLK Planning Committee.

Galloway, recognized for her educational contributions, serves as environmental, social and recruitment coordinator in Warren County Public Schools and has served various roles within the district over the last 15 years.

She began in WCPS teaching at Rockfield Elementary School, where she was also a positive behavior interventionist and supports coach and vice-chair for the school-based decision-making council.

Greer, honored for his work in banking, is a financial adviser at PNC Investments, a Tony-nominated Broadway producer, playwright and Sunday lesson leader at Mount Olla Church.

Greer earned a Tony nomination for Best Musical producing “Scottsboro Boys” and is an uncredited producer for “Mountaintop” and “Porgy & Bess The Revival.” He also appears in the movies “Get On Up” and “Miles Ahead” and is co-producing a historical documentary set in Bowling Green.

Sales, recognized for his community service, is a pastor at Loving Spring Baptist Church and chaplain for the Bowling Green Police Department. He also serves as an ambassador for Christ for Western Kentucky University’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and chaplain of the school’s football team and coaching staff.

The ceremony also recognized Diamond Chapter No. 126 of the Order of the Eastern Star. The organization has developed youth fraternity programming locally since the 1960s for children between 5 and 18.

The organization’s work includes nursing home visitations, donating supplies to the Hospice Hospital, sending cards to juvenile hospitals, packing supply boxes for military service members and distributing items to homeless populations.

Numerous local leaders joined the celebration, such as city commissioners Dana Beasley-Brown, Carlos Bailey and Melinda Hill, as well as Mayor Todd Alcott, Second District U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie and mayoral-candidate and former state representative Patti Minter.

Each leader issued proclamations from their respective offices honoring the award recipients for their contributions. Minter presented a proclamation from Gov. Andy Beshear, the first gubernatorial proclamation in the event’s history.

“The five professionals honored here today have not only demonstrated excellent and pioneering work for their respective fields but serve as role models and ambassadors for the entire community, especially our young people,” Beshear stated in the proclamation. “These individuals are paving the way for all youth of color to see who can aspire to be right here in their own hometown.”

The Trailblazers Organizing Committee consists of members of six traditionally Black Bowling Green churches: Mount Zion Baptist, Taylor Chapel AME, Seventh Street Baptist, Eleventh Street Baptist, State Street Baptist and Next Level Church.

Carr, reflecting on the ceremony’s past 27 years, said strides have been made to highlight the successes of Black men and women locally, but it still has not been enough to bring about “a sense of equality” within society.

“It’s important that everyone knows what goes on in our community because we’re all part of the same community,” Carr said. “It is imperative that our young people can look and see people who look like them and see the wonderful things that are being done right here in our Bowling Green and Warren County.”