The Bryan County chapter of the NAACP will host its annual Freedom Fund Banquet at the J. Dixie Harn Community Center in Pembroke on Friday, December 1 at 6 p.m.
The banquet will feature Georgia state representative Al Williams (D) of District 168, a region that covers cities such as Hinesville, Midway, and Riceboro.
“The theme for this year is ‘Celebrating our legacy, cultivating our future’,” said Luella Sanders, president of the Bryan County NAACP.
“Basically, we are celebrating the work that we’ve done making sure that we do have a true impact in the communities that we operate in,” Sanders said.
The Bryan County NAACP runs a wide variety of events and services throughout the year, and is best known for its awarding of scholarship funds to graduating high school seniors in the area.
According to Sanders, the Bryan County NAACP awarded nineteen scholarships in 2023 for a total of $16,500.
“Things that align with the goals and objectives of the NAACP, [we want to] make sure that we do them here in Bryan County,” Sanders said.
Founded in 1909, the NAACP, which stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is the oldest civil rights organization in the United States. Since its inception, the NAACP’s advocacy for African Americans has paved the way for modern social justice movements in the 21st century.
“The NAACP, the people that started and laid the foundation for the NAACP, [they] were thinking about inclusiveness before inclusiveness became a buzzword,” Sanders said.
Although the NAACP’s focus has historically been on African Americans, Luella Sanders wants the public to know that the group welcomes everyone interested in equality and supporting their local community.
“This organization embraces everyone, not just African Americans,” Sanders said.
“We want everyone to come out and understand and just become more familiar with what we are doing as an organization in our community.”
To learn more about the Bryan County NAACP, visit their website at bryancountynaacp.org or contact them at naacpbryancountyga@ gmail.com.