Pike NAACP holds annual Freedom Fund banquet

The Pike County Branch NAACP hosted their ninth Freedom Fund banquet at Life Springs Church on July 22.

Patricia Beckham has served as president of the organization for 21 years. The theme for the event was Strength Behind Us, Greatness Ahead of Us. The keynote speaker was Dr Marian Terrell an Alumnus of Pike County Consolidated High School.

“Since our founding in 1909, the NAACP envisions an inclusive community rooted in liberation where all persons can exercise their civil and human rights without discrimination. To realize that vision, we still work every day to achieve that vision by striving to realize our mission: to achieve equity, political rights and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education and economic security of black people and all persons of color,” said Beckham.

“We’ve all heard these words so many times that our eyes may glaze over like they do sometimes in church at words like, ‘Love one another.’ How many times have we heard that? We succeed, but we fail too! Just as living out Christianity is hard, so is living by the tenets of the NAACP. We are not political. We work to achieve equity among people – legal equity – political rights and social inclusion and work to expand human and civil rights. We’ve accomplished so much in the last 134 years of our existence.”