Pearson, Ethel

Ethel Reece Pearson was a dedicated community activist and long-standing leader in West Las Vegas who arrived in the city in 1944. She worked tirelessly to help residents secure employment and improve their quality of life, co-founding the Economic Opportunity Board in Las Vegas in 1967 and helping organize welfare rights efforts in the Marble Manor public housing development. Active in the NAACP Las Vegas chapter, she advocated for civil rights and equal opportunity, and she pressed city officials to reopen access between the Westside and downtown. She also volunteered with the American Red Cross, extending her service to families in times of need. Deeply devoted to Second Baptist Church, she served as choir director and was most proud of organizing 15 church choirs across West Las Vegas congregations. She also served as treasurer of the county’s first Democratic Club and as a Neighborhood Council officer. Widely regarded as a pillar of the community, Pearson’s leadership was honored in 1955 with the naming of a park in her honor, reflecting her lasting impact on West Las Vegas.