Passing the Baton: a celebration of youth, culture & community
77th Annual NAACP Arlington Branch Freedom Fund Banquet
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Join us for Arlington's biggest civil rights & social justice event of the year!
NAACP Arlington Branch is excited to host Passing the Baton: A Celebration of Youth, Culture & Community, a vibrant evening event focused on empowering and celebrating our youth while honoring the legacy and wisdom of our elders. This event will serve as a dynamic bridge between generations, highlighting the importance of cultural continuity and the symbolic “passing of the baton” to the next generation.
There will not be tickets for sale at the door on the night of the banquet.
Become a ticketholder or sponsor
Dr. Gregory Washington
President, George Mason University
Keynote Speaker
George Mason University President Gregory Washington leads Virginia's largest and most diverse public university, a top-tier research institution that has rapidly emerged as a leader in innovation, entrepreneurship and social mobility.
Under Dr. Washington’s leadership, Mason in fall 2023 became the first four-year public university in Virginia to enroll more than 40,000 students. Mason also continues to grow in stature. The Wall Street Journal (#33) and Forbes (#40) rank Mason among the best public universities in the country. In 2023, Mason was named Virginia’s top public university for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly, and the New York Times ranks Mason as Virginia’s top public university for economic diversity.
Since launching his Mason presidency in July 2020, Dr. Washington has created new academic and entrepreneurial pathways, opened or broken ground on academic facilities on all three Virginia campuses across the university’s 848 acres, and presided over the highest research expenditures and philanthropy in Mason history.
Dr. Washington earned three mechanical engineering degrees at North Carolina State University and is the former engineering dean at Ohio State University (interim) and the University of California, Irvine. The New York City native was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2023.
Sponsorships
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Parking & Directions
George Mason University - Mason Square (formerly Arlington Campus)
Van Metre Hall
(formerly Founders Hall)
3351 Fairfax Dr.
Arlington, VA 22201
Public Transportation
Metrorail stations (Virginia Square is closest), and Metrobus and ART bus
stops are within walking
distance of campus.
Parking
Paid parking is available in the Van Metre Hall garage. The garage entrance is in the alley behind the main building, via Founders Way North.
Enter the garage from Kirkwood Rd. in the middle of the block between Washington Blvd. and Fairfax Drs, across from St. Charles Church. VIP and Sponsor packages include parking validation.
Detailed Driving Directions
2024 NAACP Arlington Branch Awards
DEADLINE: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
More details about these awards and the people who inspired them
Award Descriptions
Willard W. "Woody" Brittain Community Appreciation Award
(individual or group/organization)
Honoring Mr. Willard Woodson “Woody” Brittain for his many contributions to the corporate worlds and the Arlington community. This award is given to an Arlington individual, group, or organization that, through their action/service, have contributed many hours of their time towards the betterment of Arlington County and its residents.
Esther Georgia Irving Cooper Civil Rights Activist of the Year Award
(individual or group/organization)
Honoring Esther Georgia Irving Cooper, co-founder of NAACP Arlington Branch. She worked to improve educational opportunities for Black children in Arlington, and led our local and state NAACPs in challenging inequalities in the county’s high school facilities. In 1940 she organized and became the first president of the NAACP Arlington Branch and soon joined NAACP Virginia’s executive board. This award is given to an individual, group, or organization actively involved in advocating for various civil rights causes.
Henry L. Holmes Meritorious Service Award
(individual or group/organization)
Honoring Henry L. Holmes, the first African-American elected official in Arlington. A prominent local civic leader, he served as the Commissioner of Revenue for 27 years. After emancipation, he moved to Freedman's Village and gained political and community success. Among other accomplishments, he founded St. John’s Baptist Church and the Butler-Holmes community (now Penrose). This is awarded to an individual, group, or organization that has supported the Branch, the Annual Freedom Fund Banquet, or the Arlington community for over two years.
Charles P. Monroe Civil Rights Award
(individual or group/organization)
Honoring the former County Board Chairman, Charles P. Monroe. He was a community advocate for increased public participation in County government, with a focus on affordable housing and other issues affecting the financially disadvantaged. This award is granted to an individual, group, or organization that has advocated for the civil rights of those living in Arlington County.
NAACP Arlington Branch President's Award
(individual or group/organization)
This distinguished honor is given to an individual or group/organization that is “actively challenging others to embrace diversity and ensure greater opportunity for all people.” Granted at the discretion of the Branch President.
NAACP Arlington Branch Scholarship
(individual)
This one time scholarship is awarded annually to students who have demonstrated academic merit and success and are residents of Arlington County, provide community service in Arlington, and/or attend religious services in Arlington.
NAACP Arlington Branch & Amazon Future Leaders Scholarship
(individual)
This program was founded in 2021 through a partnership with a generous donation from Amazon HQ2. This renewable scholarship supports promising Arlington students in furthering their higher educational goals.
Disclaimer
Contributions or gifts to this NAACP branch are not deductible as a charitable contribution for Federal Income tax purposes. However, organizations that purchase ads, sponsorships, or tickets for business purposes, may be able to deduct these expenses as a business expense.
NAACP Arlington Branch Vision
We envision an inclusive community rooted in liberation where all persons in Arlington can exercise their civil and human rights without discrimination.