Our Civil Best

The 2020 Freedom Fund Dinner is Going Virtual!

While the coronavirus pandemic prevented the Syracuse/Onondaga Branch of the NAACP from hosting its annual Freedom Fund dinner in May, it couldn’t stop it entirely, and in fact, has led to an exciting new opportunity. For the first time, the Syracuse, Auburn/Cayuga County, and Rome branches of the NAACP will be holding a joint Freedom Fund dinner virtually on Saturday, October 24 th at 5:00 pm. “To be able to do this jointly and with all

other things that are going to happen — I think people are going to be really impressed,” said Rome Branch President, Jacqueline Nelson. Using the Zoom teleconferencing software, the three branch presidents said they hope to recreate the interactive atmosphere of a live event. Guest will be able to listen to shout-outs from surprise national celebrities, watch branch-specific award ceremonies, hear a performance from globally

Although all three branches have long had cooperative relationships, each branch president said the work to hold the Freedom Fund dinner together has strengthened those bonds, something they said is critically important today given all the issues relevant to the NAACP’s mission.

Auburn President Eliezer Hernañdez explained how he recently spoke with the Cayuga County Sheriff regarding statements made on the wave of protests across the country. Being able to point to the Syracuse branch and say that the branch had his back made a tremendous difference in proving the weight of his argument. “It’s important to have a partner that’s in the same position as you. I think that makes us stronger as an organization,” Hernañdez said. The dinner also has a level of personal importance to Syracuse President Linda Brown- Robinson. The Freedom Fund dinner will serve as something of a swan song for Brown-Robinson, who will be stepping down this year after decades of involvement with the NAACP, which included re-chartering the Syracuse branch in 1979 and organizing its first Freedom Fund dinner. support the NAACP’s programming.

Brown-Robinson said she hopes the strengthened partnership between the branches that the dinner has helped encourage will persist long past her tenure and noted how critical the Freedom Fund dinner is as a fundraiser to support the NAACP’s programming.

The Freedom Fund dinner helps support programming such as voter registration drives, legal redress, health programs and more.