NAACP GALA

Greetings!

On behalf of the Craighead County NAACP, welcome to the 2023 Freedom Fund Gala! The NAACP is the Nation’s oldest civil rights organization. We are over two million activist tackling the country’s toughest challenges: Race and Justice,Advocacy and Litigation, Inclusive Economy, and Education Innovation. For 113 years, the NAACP has been fighting against racism and discrimination across the country.

We are so glad you chose to celebrate these amazing achievements and support our efforts in your community as well. I hope that this event is all that you expected and more, our committee has worked tirelessly to make this event what it is today. Our freedom fund Gala is our biggest fund raiser that offers scholarships to graduating seniors who are deserving as well as proven themselves through academic achievements and hard community service.

Thank you for your many contributions and your attendance in this awesome event. Enjoy yourselves with some awesome food, an amazing speaker, and a silent auction with some great items.

Best Regards,

Shamal C. Carter

Shamal C. Carter, President

Craighead County Branch NationalAssociation for theAdvance of Colored People

Mayor Harold Copenhaver

County Judge Marvin Day

Barry Jefferson Gala Emcee

Barry Jefferson is the President of the Jacksonville Arkansas NAACP. Jefferson was first elected as President in 2018 and is now serving his 2nd team as the Branch President. Mr. Jefferson is Partner with Lance Jones & Associates. Atlanta, GA, Barry develops and leads the firm’s management of strategic initiatives, ensuring our clients’ success. He plays a key role in the formation and execution of all strategies and platform development.

A successful entrepreneur and political operative, his passion has always been education, community, non-profit management, and voter engagement. The Lance Jones & Associates, provides general consulting in the public and private sector for Non-Profit Consultation, business development, leadership training, board training, campaigns, candidates, and higher education interests. Along with managing public affairs and issue-based campaigns, he spearheads faith outreach; planning, budgeting and fiscal policies of campaigns with statewide literature distribution; and time line development, in addition to other services. Barry has consulted and worked for several candidates in Arkansas and across the Country including Presidential Campaigns, Governor Campaign, State House and Senate Campaigns, issue-based campaigns and local races. Barry, is the Director of Environment Service with CARTI Cancer Center.

He has contributed his time to many organizations including Young Adult Opportunity Center, Central Little Rock Promise Neighborhood, Young Black Professionals of Arkansas. He also serves on many Non -Profits and Community Boards. Broad Chair of Project We Restore, Pulaski County Democratic Central Committee, Life Member Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus, President of the Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP, Political Action Chair for the Arkansas State NAACP, Member of Arkansas Urban League, Co-Chair Civil rights/Election Reform Caucus for Citizen First Congress, Host of The Community, The People, The Power Talk Show, and Partner with Lance Jones & Associates. Barry and his wife Natasha have three children all of whom live in Jacksonville.

The Honorable Joyce Elliott 2023 Gala Keynote Speaker

Joyce Elliott is a Southerner by birth and by choice. At an age far too early, she became aware of the savage inequalities of life in the South, which played a major role in her becoming a teacher for 30 years and her knowing by age 10 political service would be a major part of her life. Twenty-seven years of her teaching career were spent in Arkansas because of her deep commitment to her state and because of her unwavering commitment to young people of Arkansas having opportunity for a great life in Arkansas. Elliott taught one year each in Texas, Florida and Minnesota.

Elliott is a member of the Arkansas Senate, where she has served since 2009, representing District 31 in Little Rock. A former State Representative, she was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in November 2000. In December 2006, she finished her final term in the House due to term limits.

Her major legislative committee service includes Education; Judiciary; Insurance and Commerce; and Budget. Elliott focuses on building world-class public education systems, k-12 through higher education, socioeconomic justice, criminal justice reform and equity, pursuit of a high quality of life for marginalized populations, and helping create a Oneness across lines of separation among Arkansans and beyond.

A retired teacher, Elliott has been and continues to be a leader in organizations such as the Southern Region Education Board, National Conference of State Legislatures, the Southern Region Education Board, the Women's Legislative Lobby and the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), a progressive group of legislators from all 50 states dedicated to restoring a sense of political equilibrium to statehouses around the country. She is a member of and serves as chair of the National Center on Education and Economy.

In December 2021, Joyce launched Get Loud Arkansas, a nonpartisan civic engagement organization whose year-round work is committed to fighting voter suppression and registering, educating, and mobilizing eligible Arkansans to the polls.

She has one son, Elliott Barnes and a granddaughter, Athena Jolie.

An outdoor enthusiast, Joyce Elliott enjoys hiking, dancing, canoeing, zip lining, and whitewater rafting and is an admitted adrenaline junkie.

My deeply held personal belief about all humanity: When my days on Earth end, I hope I will be remembered for relentlessly working, without exceptions, for fairness for everyone. I grew up in a world of savage unfairness and inequality. My vow is to do all I can to make sure everyone, no matter their station in life, has an equitable opportunity to succeed.

Welcome and Introduction of MC President Shamal Carter

The Spoken Word

Ms. Patricia Brown

Remarks

Mayor Harold Copenhaver

Entertainment

Award Presentations

Dr. Lonnie R. Williams

Invocation

Rev. Dr. Greg Ota

Pastor, New Life Empowerment Ministries

Dinner Served

Introduction of Speaker Barry Jefferson

Speaker

The Honorable Joyce Elliott

Award Presentations

Dr. Lonnie Williams

Special Presentation President Shamal Carter

Arisa Health

Arkansas State University

St. Bernards Medical Center

Arvest Bank

Centennial Bank

First National Bank

Cadence Bank

Cynthia Teague

Kenneth Thomas

Adrian Everett

The Hope House

Shaun-ta Johnson & G.R.O.W. NEA

2023 Freedom Fund Gala Committee:

Emma Agnew, Chair

Erika Askland

De’ Angelis Bullard

Victoria Evans

Amber Grady

Christopher Ingle

Jeremy Jones

Reginald Prunty

Chenoa Summer

10x

THE CHALLENGE

The so-called American dream is out of reach. A great deal of research confirms what we already know investments in communities of color are paramount to mitigating racism and historic disinvestment. Existing policy is insufficient.

• White families typically make 10 times that of Black families, one of many financial gaps that come from decades of discriminatory policies and nearly three centuries of slavery.

• There are extreme disparities in employment, home ownership, and housing affordability in the Black community.

• Closing the revenue gap between Black and white businesses would generate an additional $290 billion for the U.S. economy.

The lack of racial equity in how the American economy functions severely impacts Black people, who are systematically restricted from being fully realized participants. Economic equity is a crucial part of establishing holistic racial equity for Black people. It's not just important that Black people be able to contribute to the economy as workers and consumers, but also as owners with the same access to resources and chance at success as anyone.