BK Nation hosts gifted song writer and author Linda Nelson during Women’s History Month
Women's History Month is dedicated to honoring the remarkable contributions of women throughout history. The 2026 theme for Women’s History Month is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.” This theme highlights the critical role women play in addressing global challenges and designing solutions for a sustainable future, encompassing environmental, economic, educational, and social dimensions. It recognizes women as leaders who are creating equitable economic systems, building resilient communities, mentoring future generations, and advancing social justice. Please take time to download a commemorative word search puzzle highlighting trailblazing women who have excelled in the areas of science and technology by clicking the link.
As our nation celebrates and honors these magnificent women this month, I’d like to welcome our guest, Ms. Linda Nelson, to BK Nation. She epitomizes the true spirit of this year’s theme through the sharing of her Faith, directing youth choirs and serving as a “Big Sister” to many of them. She is also the author of the inspirational book, “Shelly and the Bad Mirror”. This book is a “must read” for young people (and old) who have struggled and continue to struggle with childhood bullying and how it affects our self-image.
I had a chance to reach out to Linda to discuss her book and get her insight into some of the challenges young people are facing in and out of the classrooms throughout our country.
KLR: Linda, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to join BK Nation today. Tell us some unique things about you that many people don’t know.
LN: One of the things that people don’t know about me is that I started working with young people when I was a youngster myself. I was just 16 years young when I started my first children’s choir and community involvement. It was at that time that I realized what career path I wanted to take. I wanted to be in a career that would help people with their problems. In particular, emotional issues and show them how to get their life back on track. I wanted to become a Child Psychologist. However, upon graduating from high school, one of my older brothers encouraged me to pursue a career in Computer Technology. I did for the first few years but decided to change courses later on to complete my BA degree in Psychology. Then, going on to Grad School to obtain a Master’s in Clinical Social Work. Although I’ve worked for the Department of Defense for 30+ years, my work in the Psychology field has been some of the most rewarding.
KLR: Among your many talents, what do you enjoy most and why?
LN: I absolutely love singing. I have since I was a kid. I had the privilege of performing in so many arenas. Most noteworthy, I sang the National Anthem to a crowd of 10,000 people at the then Suns Baseball game. I also enjoy writing children’s books. It’s been a passion of mine, especially the last ten years.
KLR: As we celebrate Women’s History Month, what woman/women or historical event has been a great influence in your life and why?
LN: Harriet Tubman. When I got the opportunity to see her story played out on the big screen, it was an “aha” moment. To see someone that had so much to lose when she led slaves into freedom, but yet she kept coming back and facing her fears. Her story really spoke to me. It showed me that sometimes to make an impact, you have to do what you do, “afraid.” This is why as a teenager with no experience in starting anything, I went around in the community to ask the kids and their parents if they wanted to learn how to sing and be in the choir. I now know that our very passion to make a difference and bring change in people’s lives is often the thing that motivates us. I’m still very active in the community through the work I do at my local church.
KLR: Now, let’s talk about your book, “Shelly and the Bad Mirror”. I LOVE this book! What inspired you to write a book with such profound subject matter?
LN: I wrote the book in one setting. It was one evening as the kids and I were preparing for choir rehearsal. I noticed how some of my girls were often negatively affected by comments made by those closest to them. Most often it was their family and friends. Their behavior often changed as a result and not in a good way. So, as I sat there and observed, the idea and the story for the book came to me and I wrote it down immediately.
KLR: Your book is filled with numerous life lessons we can all learn from at any age. What is the greatest takeaway you would like to leave with the reader after reading your book?
LN: One of the lessons I hope the parents and teachers will learn is to start paying attention to the young people in their lives. Pay attention when a child is isolating themselves. Going from a happy kid to antisocial. These are tell tell signs that something else might be going on. I even discovered that a child was being abused or violated in some way. So, please look for the clues.
KLR: What message would you share with the Shelly’s of the world who are battling with self-image issues because someone may not like them because of their race, gender, disability, etc?
LN: I would tell them to first share their feelings with someone they can trust. Then seek professional help if they can. If not, talk to your school counselor or your church minister.
KLR. Where can BK Nation purchase your book including other books you have published or recorded?
LN: My books are available on all platforms, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million.
KLR: Any final words before we end the interview?
LN: Thank you Ken so much for this opportunity to be featured in your newsletter. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my book with your readers. Let them know to be on the lookout for the sequel to Shelly and the Bad Mirror. How Shelly Got Her Voice Back should be available in the near future. Thanks again Ken.
KLR: Linda, it’s been a pleasure having you join BK Nation today. As customary with our authors, you will be receiving a copy of my book, “A Time for Courage”, compliments of yours truly. May God continue to bless your efforts and thank you for your steadfast service to the upbuilding of God’s kingdom.
NOTABLE WOMEN’S EVENTS IN MARCH BY THE NUMBERS
March 1, 1987 – Congress passes a resolution designating March as Women’s History Month.
July 2, 1979 – The Susan B. Anthony dollar was released.
October 3, 1904 – Mary McLeod Bethune opens her first school for African-American students in Daytona Beach, Florida.
March 4, 1933 – Frances Perkins becomes United States Secretary of Labor, the first female member of the United States Cabinet
January 5, 1925 – Nellie Tayloe Ross is inaugurated as the first woman Governor in U.S. history (Governor of Wyoming)
November 6, 2018 – Peggy Flanagan, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, became the first female Native American elected lieutenant governor of Minnesota. She was a Native American activist, community organizer, and served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.
July 7, 1981 – President Reagan nominates Sandra Day O’Connor as the first woman Supreme Court Justice.
May 8, 1914 – President Woodrow Wilson signs a Proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
April 9, 1939 – Marian Anderson sings an Easter Sunday concert for more than 75,000 at Lincoln Memorial
May 10, 1872 – Victoria Woodhull is nominated as the first woman candidate for U.S. president for the Equal Rights Party.
January 11, 1935 – Amelia Earhart makes the first solo flight from Hawaii to North America.
March 12, 1993 – Janet Reno is sworn in as the first woman U.S. Attorney General
March 13, 1986 – Susan Butcher won the first of 3 straight and 4 total Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Races in Alaska.
November 14, 1903 – The U.S. Women’s Trade Union League was established.
May 15, 1970 – Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington officially receive their ranks as U.S. Army Generals, becoming the first women to do so.
October 16, 1916 – Margaret Sanger opens the U.S.’s first birth control clinic in Brooklyn, New York.
March 17, 1917 – Loretta Perfectus Walsh became the first woman to join the navy and the first woman to officially join the military in a role other than a nurse.
November 18, 1857 – Rose Knox was born. She was one of America’s foremost businesswomen, co-founded Knox Gelatin Co., revolutionized the company following her husband’s death initiating a five-day work week and two-week vacations
November 19, 1910 – Gladys Hobby was born. She was a microbiologist whose clinical research, pathological materials, and patients with serious infections heralded the introduction of penicillin, sulfa drugs, streptomycin, and other antibiotics
March 20, 1852 – Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published and becomes the best-selling book of the 19th century
June 21, 1997 – The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) plays its first game.
December 22, 1912 – Claudia “Lady Bird” Taylor Johnson, First Lady (1963-69) was born. She was an advocate for civil rights, National Chair of Head Start, led “Beautification” efforts across the country involving environmentalism, conservation, and anti-pollution
March 23, 1917 – Virginia Woolf establishes the Hogarth Press with her husband, Leonard Woolf.
February 24, 1967 – Jocelyn Bell Burnell makes the first discovery of a pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star.
September 25, 1981 – Sandra Day O’Connor is sworn in as the first woman U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
April 26, 1777 – American Revolution heroine Sybil Ludington, 16 years old, rides 40 miles on horseback in the middle of the night to warn the American militia that the British were invading
December 27, 1930 – Mary Ellen (Meg) Greenfield was born. She was named editorial editor at “Washington Post” in 1979 after winning a Pulitzer Prize, penned commentaries on civil rights, integration, nuclear arms and the military establishment
April 28, 1993 – First “Take Our Daughters to Work” Day, sponsored by the Ms. Foundation, in 2003 it became “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work” Day.
January 29, 1926 – Violette Neatly Anderson is the first black woman to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court
August 30, 1984 – Judith A. Resnick is the second U.S. woman in space, traveling on the first flight of the space shuttle Discovery.
March 31, 1888 – The National Council of Women of the U.S. is organized by Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Julia Ward Howe, and Sojourner Truth, among others, the oldest non-sectarian women’s organization in the U.S.
PARTING THOUGHTS
March is a month rich with cultural, seasonal, and awareness events such as St. Patrick’s Day, the March Madness Basketball Tournament, and other festivities celebrated throughout our country. There are also countless museums and historical sites you can visit also. I believe attending these events and sites provides a deeper understanding of past events and offers greater insights into the historical, political, cultural and religious thought process of that era. As for me, I will be visiting the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida this month. I’ll post the pictures of my visit on my website for your viewing pleasure in the April newsletter.
I urge everyone to select a historical site and/or museum you will visit this month and email me the details of your trip. I’d like to know where you went and what you learned. Understanding our past gives us a better appreciation for our institutions, our leaders, both past and present, and our country. Have we reached perfection?....No. But the United States of America is still a beacon of hope and fulfillment of dreams for millions of people trying to get here. BK Nation, let us never forget that.