The Albion Branch of the NAACP will host its 47th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at Albion College’s Upper Baldwin Hall, bringing the community together under the theme “The Fierce Urgency of Now.”
Doors open at 5:45 p.m., with dinner and the evening program beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $45, with proceeds supporting the local branch’s ongoing community programs and scholarship initiatives.
This year’s featured speaker is Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, former Michigan State Representative and current Government Affairs Consultant. Known for her bipartisan leadership and advocacy for social and criminal justice reform, Gay-Dagnogo helped author several key laws, including “Michigan’s One Bad Night Law” (Public Act 188) and Public Act 381 on “Good Moral Character.” Both pieces of legislation expanded opportunities for returning citizens through the state’s Clean Slate Expungement reforms.
A former Detroit Public Schools science teacher, Gay-Dagnogo also championed early childhood education and helped launch UCLA’s Kindergarten Readiness Initiative.
According to the Albion Branch NAACP, the Freedom Fund Banquet remains one of the organization’s most important annual events—raising funds to promote political, educational, social, and economic equality in the Albion community while working to eliminate race-based discrimination.
In the past year, the branch has awarded college scholarships to three Albion-area high school graduates—two now attending Wayne State University and one at the University of Michigan. Other key initiatives include partnering with Marshall Public Schools for the annual Back-to-School Celebration, supporting Albion College’s Big Read and Maemester programs, and co-sponsoring the community’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.
Organizers say the evening will blend “learning, laughter, and community spirit,” along with a full dinner prepared by Albion College’s dining service.
“This banquet is more than just a meal—it’s a call to action for unity and progress,” said NAACP President Ronnie Sims. “The theme reminds us that the time to act for justice and equality is not tomorrow—it’s today.”
Tickets and additional information are available from members of the Albion Branch NAACP executive board or by contacting Robert Dunklin, immediate past president, at 517-795-8887, or Ronnie Sims, president, at 517-894-5441.
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