About the Banquet
We Are Better Together…
The Freedom Fund Banquet is the Winston-Salem NAACP’s primary fundraiser, supporting activism and outreach through our committees, Enrichment Center, as well as branch scholarships for high school seniors pursuing further education.
These funds allow us to fulfill the NAACP’s mission to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
We do that by addressing issues in our community related to education, equity, labor and economic disparities, voting rights, housing opportunity, access to health care, and environmental and criminal justice.
At the event, the branch also recognizes the recipients of its annual scholarships and awards honors to outstanding members of the branch and the Winston Salem community.
Meet the Keynote Speaker
Melissa Harris-Perry
Melissa Harris-Perry is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, where she holds joint appointments in Politics and International Affairs, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Environment and Sustainability. She is the founder and president of the Anna Julia Cooper Center, advancing justice through intersectional scholarship and action.
She co-created and co-hosts System Check with Dorian Warren and is currently the interim host of The Takeaway from WNYC. From 2012 to 2016, she hosted the award-winning Melissa Harris-Perry show on MSNBC, earning the Hillman Prize for broadcast journalism. She has served as editor-at-large for Elle.com and ZORA and remains a contributing editor for The Nation.
Harris-Perry is the author of Barbershops, Bibles, and BET and Sister Citizen, both acclaimed works on Black political thought and identity. She earned her B.A. from Wake Forest, her Ph.D. in political science from Duke, and studied theology at Union Theological Seminary.
She has taught at the University of Chicago, Princeton, and Tulane, and serves on several boards including The Century Foundation, The Next 100, and The Markup. She holds honorary degrees from institutions including NYU, Winston-Salem State, and Ithaca College.
We Are Better Together...
Meet the Host
Dr. Kendra Davis
Dr. Kendra Davis is a dynamic speaker and trainer often described as a “vitamin B12 shot”—energizing, educating, and empowering every audience she meets. She has spoken for a wide range of organizations including the NC Foundations for Alcohol & Drug Studies (NCFADS), SEANC, UNC-Chapel Hill, the NC Department of Public Safety, and numerous recovery and reentry programs across North Carolina.
A proud graduate of Winston-Salem State University, Dr. Davis holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling. She also earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Studies from Apex School of Theology.
Dr. Davis is an internationally certified addiction and recovery professional. Her credentials include Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, Master Addictions Counselor, Certified Clinical Supervisor, Certified Criminal Justice Addiction Professional, and Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist.
In 2010, she founded K*METAMORPHOSIS, a counseling and professional development firm created to fill vital treatment and training gaps in underserved communities. Her work is grounded in the belief that small, consistent changes can lead to life-changing transformation.
She is also the author of It’s ONLY a Test: Mastering the Addiction Counselors Exam, a practical and engaging study guide for aspiring professionals preparing for licensure.
Scholarships
Each year the Winston-Salem Branch offers five scholarships of $1,000 each to assist eligible high school seniors of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools with paying for college.
Preferences:
- Be a high school senior with an unweighted G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher.
- Plan to enroll as a full-time student in a two or four-year accredited college or university.
- Must demonstrate financial need.
Application:
The application period is January through March. The application must include a brief statement highlighting the student’s educational and career goals, and community involvement. All application information will be kept confidential by the scholarship awards committee. Also, all scholarship recipients grant the Winston-Salem NAACP permission to use their names and photographs/videos in media to publicize, report, and/or promote the scholarship program and the Winston-Salem Branch NAACP.
2024 Gala Gallery
2025 Sponsorship Levels
For Sponsorship details, please contact Suri Dillion, Freedom Fund Dinner Committee Chair at assistsec5471@gmail.com.
Platinum Sponsor - $5,000
- Dinner Tickets (Table for 8)
- Acknowledge from the podium
- Full Page ad in Souvenir Journal
- Logo on Freedom Fund Webpage
- 3 Social Media Promotions
- Access to VIP Reception area
Gold Sponsor - $2,500
- Dinner Tickets (Table for 8)
- Half Page ad in Souvenir Journal
- Logo on Freedom Fund Webpage
- 2 Social Media Promotions
- Access to VIP Reception area
Silver Sponsor - $1,500
- Dinner Tickets (Table for 8)
- Quarter-page ad in Souvenir Journal
- Logo on Freedom Fund Webpage
- 1 Social Media Promotions
- Access to VIP Reception area
Bronze Sponsor - $1,000
- Dinner Tickets (Table for 8)
- Quarter-page ad in Souvenir Journal
- Name on Freedom Fund Webpage
- Access to VIP Reception area
Steadfast for Freedom - $500
- One Dinner Ticket
- Name in Souvenir Journal
- 1/8′ Page ad in Souvenir Journal
- Name on Freedom Fund Webpage
- Access to VIP Reception area
Freedom Table - $480
- Dinner Tickets (Table for 8)
- Name on Freedom Fund Webpage
- Name in Souvenir Journal
Freedom Friend - $250
- One Dinner Ticket
- Name on Freedom Fund Webpage
- Name in Souvenir Journal