Oxford NAACP celebrates annual Freedom Fund Banquet
Multiple students and community members were recognized during Oxford NAACP's annual Freedom Fund Banquet, which supports scholarships for graduating high school seniors.
The Oxford NAACP held its annual Freedom Fund Banquet at Miami University's Shriver Center on Saturday, April 26. This year's theme for the event was “Taking Action Together for Justice, Equity and Dignity for All.”
By 5 p.m., the Dolibois room was filled with over 100 people, many NAACP members, sponsors of the event and other community members. The evening started with opening remarks by Oxford NAACP President Fran Jackson.
“The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People — it is the largest, the oldest and most respected, and I’m going to this – the baddest organization,” Jackson said.
Oxford NAACP Vice President Vanessa Cummings said the organization’s mission is to ensure equal rights across education and politics while fighting to eliminate racial discrimination. The Freedom Fund Banquet supports that mission by raising money to provide scholarships to graduating Talawanda students.
Oxford City Manager Doug Elliott then read a proclamation for Mayor Bill Snavely in his absence. The proclamation declared April 26, 2025 as NAACP Freedom Fund Day and encouraged Oxford residents to celebrate the Oxford NAACP’s contributions to the city.
After dinner, scholarship committee co-chair Sue Killy recognized the three scholarship recipients. The Talawanda students who were awarded were Ysabella Anders, Krupa Patel and Jeremiah Traham.
Cummings then awarded their Community Service Award to Deloris Rome Hudson, a lifelong civil rights activist, for her extensive contributions to education and community service.
Talawanda teacher Jamie Corbin received the Outstanding Diversity Education Award for her commitment to teaching diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Tonight, I want to remind the members here of the Oxford NAACP and my fellow educators that even now, we’re not alone, and we cannot stop speaking up in defense of democracy, and we must defend public education as if our hard-fought freedoms depend on it,” Corbin said, receiving a standing ovation from the room.
Membership Committee Chair Valerie Elliott then recognized two new lifetime members of the NAACP: Prue Dana, who passed last year, and Ellie Redlinsky, who is a college student in Georgia.
The keynote speaker for the evening was Courtis Fuller, a lifetime member of the NAACP and WLWT news anchor in Cincinnati. Fuller spoke about his life, the importance of remembering historical events like Juneteenth and criticized recent government actions.
“There is enormous pain all around us, and the NAACP is needed now more than ever before,” Fuller said.
The banquet was sponsored in part by the Butler County Democratic Party.
“We’re here every year to support them,” said John Rhoades, central regional coordinator for Butler County Democrats. “But this year seems to be pretty critically important because their voices need to be heard.”
As the banquet drew to a close, the room joined hands to sing “We Shall Overcome,” led by Jackson.
