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Toledo NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet Celebrates 103 Years of
Service
By Tricia Hall
Sojourner Truth’s Reporter
The Stranahan Theater and Great Hall event room was filled
as members and officers of the Toledo Unit NAACP celebrated
103 years of service in Toledo with city residents,
supporters and elected officials. “Defeat Hate, Vote,”
served as the banquet theme, which was held on Saturday,
October 27, 2018.
A live band, Organized K-OS, serenaded guests as they were
escorted to their tables, then the banquet officially opened
with a prayer delivered by Rev. Perry Harris III, pastor of
United Vision Baptist Church and Toledo NAACP Toledo Unit
secretary. “Father we love you and honor you. We thank you
for the work done by the NAACP, the local branch of NAACP,
and the work that still needs to be done.” |
Councilman Tyrone Riley, Micheal
Alexander, Zuri Hall, Ray Wood
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Program attendees then sang the Negro National Anthem before
Toledo NAACP President Ray Wood addressed the audience. “We
are assembled here again today, and we don’t take your
attendance here or support in general for granted. We
appreciate your support, we as the Toledo Branch of NAACP. I
personally want to thank our board members, who are full
time volunteers. They have jobs, families and even churches.
I want each of them to take a bow,” explained Wood.
Kristian Brown of ABC TV13 Toledo served as the mistress of
ceremonies. The featured speaker was Toledo native, Emmy
award winning TV personality and actress, Zuri Hall.
“I’ve always loved the freedom fund banquet held in Toledo,
because it aims to support freedom. I always wanted to be
free to live my own life, by my own terms. I began to learn
that lesson here in Toledo and once I moved on. Even in dark
times, I reminded myself that people from Toledo invested in
me,” shared Zuri Hall.
The 2018 Freedom Fund honorees were: Crystal Ellis, PhD,
former principal and City of Toledo employee; Tina Butts,
owner of T-Bonds; Rev. John Roberts, DMin, pastor of Indiana
Avenue Missionary Baptist Church; David Fleetwood, business
manager of Laborer’s International Union of North America.
City of Toledo Councilman Tyrone Riley recognized the
Crispus Attucks Essay Contest Award Winners: Dakota Bonds,
Kiara Byrd, Eunique Cotton, Brysen Davis, Esperanza Duran,
Lacey Eze, Andrea Gonzales, Tamia Haythorne, Madeline
Militello, Marleigh Mitchell, Nicole Stone, Kaleb Youn, and
Alicia Woods.
The Toledo NAACP meets every second Tuesday. Individuals
interested in membership or joining one of the committees:
ACT-SO, Criminal Justice, Economic Development, Legal
Redress, Membership, WIN, Health, Religious Affairs,
Political Action, also Youth and Young Adults should visit
their website www.naacptoledo.org
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