Jackson City Branch NAACP Announces 98th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet Celebrating the “Year of Medgar”
Updated: Sep 15
2026 Banquet Photos | Captured by Cole'
September 1, 2026 - The Jackson City Branch NAACP will host its 98th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 6 p.m. at the historic M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge, located at 1072 J.R. Lynch Street in Jackson. Presented under the theme “Year of Medgar,” this year’s banquet will honor the life, courage and enduring legacy of Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers. The program will connect Evers’ unfinished work to the Jackson City Branch NAACP’s continuing efforts to advance justice, protect voting rights and expand opportunities for residents throughout Jackson and Hinds County.
Congratulations to the 2026 Award Recipients:
President's Award: Councilwoman Tina Clay, Ward 2
Ineva May Pittman Award: Flonzie Brown-Wright
John Dixon Award: Roosevelt Hawkins, Jr.
Delores Orey Lifetime Service Award: Rev. Wendell Paris & Ada Robinson
The evening will feature special performances by students from Murrah High School and MADDRAMA, Mississippi’s acclaimed performing arts organization based at Jackson State University. Through music, drama and creative expression, the performances will celebrate Black history, resilience and the power of the arts in advancing social change.
“Medgar Evers understood that progress requires ordinary people to demonstrate extraordinary courage,” said Jackson City Branch NAACP President Nsombi Lambright-Haynes. “As we celebrate the Year of Medgar, we are not only remembering his sacrifice. We are recommitting ourselves to the work he gave his life to—protecting the vote, confronting injustice and building a Mississippi where every person can live with dignity and opportunity.”
For nearly a century, the Jackson City Branch NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet has brought together civil rights advocates, community leaders, educators, faith leaders, business partners and residents committed to racial justice and equality. The annual event also helps sustain the branch’s advocacy, youth engagement, and community-service initiatives.
“This banquet is both a celebration and a call to action,” said Queen Hatfield, Banquet Chair. “We invite the entire community to join us as we honor the life of Medgar Evers, recognize local changemakers, and strengthen the collective movement for justice.”
Tickets may be purchased online at www.JacksonCityNAACP.org. Parking will be available behind the M.W. Stringer Grand Lodge.
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