The family of Bettye Smith Brown, a Vicksburg native and member of the Vicksburg Branch of the NAACP, recently announced a scholarship fund established in memory of their matriarch.

Brown, who died in August 2020, was the mother of two daughters, Adrienne Brown Mosley and Fayedra Brown-Dear, and began her professional career as a teacher’s aide at Grove Street School in Vicksburg. Brown then transitioned to government work and retired as an employee of the U.S. Agriculture Department. Mosley, now an attorney for Pepsi Co., said all the achievements made by her sister and herself are because of their mother.

“(Our mother) was very adamant about education being the path for us to success,” Mosley said. “We thought the scholarship was a great way to honor her and remove the financial impediments to success that some students may have.

“When someone’s at that fork in the road, deciding whether to pursue secondary education or not, we want to remove those financial barriers,” she added.

The scholarship, worth $10,000, will benefit two students from Warren County who are planning to attend a four-year, accredited university. Awards will be based on academic success and financial need. In order to be considered, students must complete an application and submit an essay.

Mosley said the establishment of the Bettye Smith Brown Memorial Scholarship is the “essence of who (my mother) was,” using herself and her sister as an example.

“She always said, ‘Nothing beats a failure but a try,’ and a lawyer and a registered nurse later, here we are,” Mosley said. “We were all part of her grand plan. We were happy that our mother was able to see the fruits of her labor in us.”

Applications for the scholarship will be published on the Vicksburg Warren School District’s website, as well as at http://naacpvicksburg.org. Applicants may also request an application via email to bettyesmithbrownscholarship@gmail.com.

Each Application and Essay must be submitted by March 27, 2022, via email to bettyesmithbrownscholarship@gmail.com.

Those who wish to make a donation to support this scholarship can donate to the NAACP-Vicksburg Branch by mailing a check to NAACP Vicksburg Branch, Attention: BSB Memorial Scholarship, P.O. Box 1107, Vicksburg, MS 39181-1107.

Make checks payable to the NAACP-Vicksburg, Mississippi Branch and note: “BSB Memorial Scholarship” in the “For” line.