The “NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet Day” was held in Mansfield on Saturday evening. The Freedom Fund Banquet, which took place at the Brown Derby Roadhouse, is the primary fundraiser for the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The proclamation setting aside Oct. 25 to mark the banquet was set forth by Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker. A similar proclamation was issued by the Richland County commissioners. The theme for this year’s banquet was “NAACP: All in for Justice and Equality.”
Emmanuel Stone, the 3rd Vice President of the State Conference NAACP, served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening. The program included remarks and proclamations, a membership appeal, an overview of the partnership between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Mansfield NAACP, praise dance, awards presentation and a keynote address.
The keynote address was given by Ophelia Averitt, a member of the NAACP Board of Directors. Averitt is also First Vice President of the Ohio Conference of Branches (of the NAACP) and State Life Membership Chairman.
In her address, Averitt discussed themes of persistence and challenged today’s membership to honor the legacy of the NAACP by doing good works now. She sited the founders of the NAACP, and their successors such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.
“They never stopped. They just kept going,” Averitt said. “Never get tired of whatever you set out to do. Make that your life journey. You never get too old, you never get too young to start and watch the doors open for you.”
Averitt likened people to cars by saying that it’s the exterior that people worry about, but it’s what’s under the hood that really matters. “You didn’t get there by being good looking. You didn’t get there by whatever you thought. You had to show that you had the love for your neighbors and everybody else. We worked very hard through the years to make a difference in the lives of others,” she said.
Averitt then rallied the crowd with a brief membership drive that resulted in six new life members for the local branch. New life member Judge Heather Cockley views membership as important to her professional role.
“As a public official, my goal is to serve all of the people and understand their different perspectives. The NAACP is a very important organization that provides a voice for people in our community who might not otherwise be heard,” stated Cockley.
“Sometimes you don’t even think about the NAACP unless you really need it,” said Local Mary Kay Consultant Tahndieka Odom who is a member of the local branch. She views local chapters as important because they bring a presence to the community.
“That’s why I think it’s hard to gain membership because if it’s not a tool that you need as a daily necessity you just don’t think about it. But then once trouble comes knocking on your door or you’re treated in a discriminatory way, then you’ll remember oh, NAACP,” added Odom.
Perhaps it was Foundation Academy 7th grader William Meadows IV, who summed up the organization’s mission most simply, “I think it’s about the freedom of both Caucasian and black people to come together and go as a community.”
The NAACP was founded in 1909. According to its website, it “is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization.” Its mission is “to fight for social justice for all Americans.” The local branch was founded in 1954, making it 60 years old this year, and the current president of the local branch is Sesan Popoola.
“You had to show that you had the love for your neighbors and everybody else. We worked very hard through the years to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Ophelia Averitt.
