President Modest Keenan said Dr. Charles Love will address the organization’s May 9 fund-raiser at the Elks Lodge. Keenan said Dr. Love’s presence is part of the NAACP’s policy of having speakers who are prominent in their field. He said the goal is to have speakers who can inform NAACP members, their guests and the general public about the issues of the day.
“We’ve had some very influential people speak over the years,” he said. “(U.S. Rep.) Jim Clyburn spoke three years in a row. (State Rep.) Gilda Cobb-Hunter has spoke. (State Rep.) Mike Anthony spoke. (State Reps.) Lonnie Hosey, Brenda Lee and Joe Neal have addressed us. Retired judge Kay Patterson spoke.
“These people all spoke about their areas of expertise and Dr. Love will speak about education,” he said. “I try to get speakers who can inform people. These are the kind of people I like to bring in.”
Keenan said the money raised by the event is used to help the local chapter pay its state and national dues. The money is also used to pay for two or three members of the local chapter to attend the NAACP’s state convention. This is especially important since the convention is a source of information for the local chapter.
“At the convention they tell us how to handle problems,” he said. “We get information on how we can get people together to deal with any problems we have.”
The remaining funds are kept in reserve to ensure the NAACP has money on hand if it needs to pursue legal action regarding a civil rights matter. Keenan said the local chapter has been very fortunate in this respect and has not had to go to court. He said he hopes that continues to be true and that the chapter is dedicated to working with local officials to avoid any situations that might result in legal action.
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