Community contributes to banquet success

Reflecting on the success of last Saturday’s Sampson County NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet, it is my fervent belief that the occasion of the Freedom Fund Banquet still remains one of the county’s big events, bringing many people from diverse backgrounds, from across our community, together in a show of unity in our continuing struggle for equality and justice for all in Sampson County.

Much of the success for the recent banquet can be attributed to the hard work of the Freedom Fund Committee which is led by Lee Byam, the immediate past president and current 1st Vice President of the Sampson County NAACP. Other members of Freedom Fund Committee include Maie Parker, branch assistant treasurer; JoAnn Howard, past Freedom Fund Committee chairperson; and Luther Moore, Education Committee chairperson. In addition to the Freedom Fund Committee, I would like to express my appreciation to the entire Sampson County NAACP membership and our wonderful community supporters for contributing to the great success of our 2023 Freedom Fund Banquet.

Interestingly, over the past several years, the participation and support from the various sectors of our community have continually grown, giving us the appearance of becoming a more united community, in our struggle for equality and justice for all in Sampson County.

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the oldest and largest civil rights organization committed to advancing democracy through its struggle for racial equality and justice in the U.S. At 114 years old, the NAACP remains the strongest national voice for freedom. In communicating with the more than 2,000 branches around the country, Derrick Johnson, the NAACP President and CEO, stated, “The work of making our country just and equal for every American is an ongoing project that requires those of us who can fight to do so in our time.”

To address the work of civil rights as being “an ongoing project,” last Saturday night’s Sampson County NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet featured as the keynote speaker Sampson’s own Marcus Bass. Currently, Bass serves as Executive Director for Advance North Carolina, an organization serving as an advocate for North Carolina’s historically black institutions of faith, education, and civic service across the state. Born and raised in Sampson County, while attending North Carolina A&T State University, Bass served as student body president and led several grassroots efforts, including Greensboro’s largest student march to the polls and a protest of the inequitable coverage of A&T by the Greensboro News and Record.

Now, as we begin to close this chapter on our 2023 NAACP Sampson County Branch Freedom Fund Banquet, I hope you will consider joining us as we seek to engage the next generation of voices and leaders in the work of civil rights. To be sure, the ongoing project to make America a more just and equal society begins with each individual member having the dedication and commitment to making a difference in our community.