May 5, 2013 – Montgomery County Maryland Branch, NAACP Annual Freedom Fund Dinner
Remarks by President Anita Neal Powell, Montgomery County Maryland Branch,7022
How is everybody tonight?As I look around the room,I am personally overwhelmed to see all of the enthusiasm being displayed for this Freedom Fund Dinner. As you know, this dinner is the financial arm forthe work of the NAACP, Montgomery County Maryland Branch, 7022. The sign at the registration table which says “SOLD OUT” confirms to me that “Working together as a branch and community is helping to move this organization forward.” Your volunteer services, your words of wisdom, and your commitment to the work of this branch enable me to say, I salute you! I salute you! Give yourself, a hand clap, just for being here as a member, as a supporter and as a believer.
I bring you greetings from the leadership and the membership of this branch.This evening,I welcome you to the NAACP 38thAnnual Montgomery County Maryland Branch Freedom Fund Dinner. President Benjamin Jealous I was asked by the Maryland State Conference NAACP, President Gerald Stansbury, to share with you that he is unable to personally join you tonight as you bring forth the message. President Stansbury is the Keynote Speaker at the NAACP, Harford County Maryland Branch Freedom Fund Dinner.However, he is indeed here with all of us in spirit and in full support of the direction in which this branch is moving.
We are so excited to have President Ben Jealous here with us this evening to bring forth amessage from the NAACP National Office to this branch, 7022; a message that we have been waiting to hear from our National President. President Jealous, we personally extend our welcome to you, as well as our support for what you are doing across the country, we thank you!
The work of NAACP requires your devotion to this local branch. Wewillcontinue to reach out to you though membership, though our three youth councils, through the Parents’Council,though partnerships, though theeducational process, through community coordination, and most importantly through communication. We are a transparent branch with a national perspective.
We want to encourage you to take advantage of our gateway to membership by tearing off the stub on the right side of your ticket to continue this organization’s fight for freedom, justice and equality in this community, as well as at the state and national levels. I cannot emphasize to this audience how important it is for you to be a member;if you are a life member or higher, you can give your ticket to someone else as a gift which allows them to become a member tonight. If you are a member you can renew your membership tonight; and if you are not already a member, please join tonight.
Membership is the key to any organization to increase its growth and its transparency; if we are going to continue to be the boldest civil rights organization we need you to help us to move this organization to a new level by becoming actively involved.As you know it has been 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation passed and we are still asking the question “Are we free of our shackles?; Ask yourself the question;Are you free of your shackle?” and if you are free of your shackles, help us to make sure that weall can be free our shackles! Let us use this organization as a gateway to freedom, to civil and human rights,to do the work of NAACP. As I take my seat, I want to leave you with this message followed by a question.
“History cannot be changed nor erased, nor can it serve as a pretense, that certain events never took place during our time or that of our forefathers. Rather, history should be viewed as a way to better understand, who we are as a people, as a community, and as a nation” and if we are not free of our shackles what will you do or what will we do together as part of this branch, a part of the Maryland State Conference, and as a part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People? Will you make a commitment not just to us tonight but as a member, a new member, a renewed member and lastly as a life member for tomorrow to do something to continue to move this organization forward; don’t just pay your dues – let your dues guide you to do more – Become active in your branch, 7022.
Thank you and again we welcome you! Congratulationsto Mr. Elbridge James, Executive Committee Member as the recipient of the Branch President’s Award. He received this award for his invaluable leadership and dedication to branch, 7022. I am elated about our student scholarship winners and wish them much success as they journey to college. It also gives me such a pleasure to hear one of the branches former ACT-SO winners share with us her melodious voicein songsand to share the stage with two of our youth presidents. I have to also give a special shout out to those who are seated at the President’s tablesand to all of the volunteers who worked so hard to make this night historic. I am afraid to call names but if you take a look around the room you can see it was the work of many; but I will take a minute to ask those who worked for tonight’s success to please stand and to be recognized. Finally, I am asking you to help grow the branch, starting with planting your own roots by becoming an active member of the Montgomery County Maryland Branch, 7022 tonight as we press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling.
God bless each and every one of you! Welcome.