Join the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County at our next History on Tap program at the Hopkinsville Brewing Company on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Wendell Lynch and fellow members of Pioneers Inc., will present “The History and Mission of Pioneers Inc.,” one of Hopkinsville’s oldest and most respected service organizations.

Established in 1952 by men in Hopkinsville’s African-American community, Pioneers is dedicated to improving the community by helping individuals and by supporting groups that are involved in similar service work. Through its history, the membership of Pioneers has been a “who’s who” of local African-American leaders. Founding members included real estate broker and political leader F.E. Whitney, Attucks basketball coach William Falls, and Clarence Bibbs, who was supervisor of postal operations for the U.S. Postal Service in Hopkinsville.

Many of the early members of Pioneers were involved in local integration and civil rights efforts. Today, the group runs a catering and barbecue business at the Pioneers headquarters on North Main Street that helps finance civic projects.