PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A banquet supporting African-American rights is happening this weekend in the Twin Cities.
NAACP’s Bloomington-Normal branch will be hosting their annual Freedom Fund event on Saturday, Sept. 13. Linda Foster, the president of the Bloomington branch, joined Freedom Fund chairperson Willie Holton Halbert on WMBD This Morning to talk about the event.
This year’s theme is “The Fierce Urgency of Now.” Foster says it’s based on the direction the NAACP is moving nationwide this year.
“Right now is the time to be fierce,” she said. “And it’s with great urgency that we are on the same page, and that we are all working this thing together.”
“And to be intentional about what we do,” Halbert said. “And realizing that we can work for equality and justice, with health, with our education system. Making sure that equality exists for all people.”
Foster says, even though the organization began more than a hundred years ago, the mission behind the NAACP is more relevant than ever.
“Because of the things that we’ve done throughout the year, we want people to know,” she said. “And we want to be able to share, and also to motivate, and to allow people to be part of this great movement.”
This year’s keynote speaker is Aisha Davis, an attorney who serves as senior policy counsel for the Illinois branch of the ACLU. Halbert and Foster say they’re thrilled to have her attend the conference, and hope residents of the Twin Cities come out to hear her message.
“We heard her speak at a state conference,” Halbert told us, “and we thought she would be phenomenal to come and speak to the people of Bloomington-Normal.”
Tickets for the Freedom Banquet have already sold out. To donate to the NAACP Bloomington-Normal branch, you can visit their website, bnnaacp.org.
