July 2021
Purpose
To plan and conduct fund-raising activities, entertainment, and other projects, for local and national purposes within the scope of the Association’s program. The FFAC works closely with the Finance Committee.
Operations
Presently, all meetings of the FFAC are via Zoom! We meet every other week on Mondays at five (5) o’clock.
Annual Goals
Annually, the FFAC works to raise funds to support our Black & Brown students who have graduated from HS and are entering into a two, four, or technical institution by awarding stipends. The Annual Freedom Fund Awards Ceremony is the event in which we raise funds. Helping our youth in furthering their educational goals is in line with our Branches Game Changers for 2021!
In 2017 we established “The Freedom Fund Awards, in which we recognize our community member or public individuals whose work positively reflects an iconic African American Historical individual. In 2018 the Committee established the W. E. B. Du Bois, Berkshire County Branch NAACP Freedom Fund Award, Berkshires Native Son, in honor of his 150 birthday celebration. To keep the remembrance of Du Bois forever present in our community, this is the only award presented continually, when warranted. (See below fora list of all past award winners)
The FFAC also focuses annually on planning and hosting the Gather-In, which was the oldest Black Festival of the West Side Community – that was the victim of the Covid-19 virus; this festival ran consecutively for 45 yrs; before Covid! We hope to continue this important community event in 2022!
Also, this committee will plan for an Annual Celebration of Juneteenth Holiday starting in 2022!
Current Activities
In January of 2021, we held our Freedom Fund Awards Ceremony virtually and raised over $60K to support our Black & Brown Graduates continuing their education.
Committee Co-chairs
Dennis L. Powell, Co-Chair naacpberkshirecounty@gmail.com
Toni Buckley, Co-Chair naacpberkshirecounty@gmail.com
Freedom Fund Award Winners
2017
Mary McLeod Bethune Award: Shirley Edgerton
Paul Roberson Award: Wray Gunn Sr.
Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner Award: John Bissell
2018
W.E.B. Du Bois Award: Dr. Frances Jones-Sneed and Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste
Shirley Chisholm Award: Mabel Hamilton (Mother Mabel)
2019
W.E.B. Du Bois Award: Dr. Homer (Skip) Meade
Roberto Clemente Award: Churchill Cotton
2020
W.E.B. Du Bois Award: Rachel Fletcher.
Baba Chuck Davis Award: Sandra Burton
Margaret Hart Award: Lori Murphy