by Eva J. Shaw
The Roanoke Branch of the NAACP held its 66th Life Membership Luncheon “A Freedom Fundraiser” Saturday, Dec. 3 at Tanglewood Holiday Inn.
The event, emceed by Mrs. Annette Lewis, president and CEO of Total Action for Progress (TAP), was well attended and included a host of local dignitaries. It got off to an interesting start with greeting by Mayor Sherman Lea, Sr. Bernadette Brown accompanied by DeRon Lark, and also singing a solo was Aaron Dean and Stephanie Clark, highlighting the event with songs.
The NAACP ACT-SO awards were given to Rita Bishop, Roanoke City School Superintendent for her unwaving support to the program also Roanoke Gas, Women United for Community Action and Advance Auto Parts for supporting the 2016 program. Those recognized, as “NAACP Silver Life Members were Andrea Chubb, Frances A. Berry and Doris Ennis
This year’s historic line-up of distinguished guest speakers included Vice Mayors Jennifer Bowles of Martinsville, Anita James Price of Roanoke City and Treney Tweedy of Lynchburg.
Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowels the youngest to be elected to city council, as well as the first African American to hold the position, as Vice Mayor in Martinsville is also currently the youngest Vice Mayor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. “I want to dedicate myself to be a beacon of hope to my community and a roll model to all people especially to children,” says Bowels. She went on to stay that all lives matter and in order to move forward we all have to work together.
Anita James Price, vice mayor of Roanoke City, one of the first African American females in this regional to hold such a title admitted that she struggled with that title because she didn’t want to seem pretentious. But learned to embrace the title because it represented our ancestors that came before us and to continue to move forward. She stands on the shoulders of her “Sheros” from Harriet Tudman to Michelle Obama to name a few. She also shared a quote from Freddick Doulass, “Its easier to build strong children then to repair broken men and women”. In closing she gave a tribute to the STAR city in a acronym form S=Stand Strong, T= Tenacious, A=Always aim high, R=Roanoke/Rise.
Vice Mayor Treney Tweedy, a native of Lynchburg said her childhood dream wasn’t to be a politician but she knew she wanted to help people. She has spent the last 22 years serving the citizens of Lynchburg. “I believe that anything you put work towards will get better”, Tweedy said.
Tweedy said she read an Internet article the other day quoting a message from the new leader of the NRA saying, “We are going to own colored people again!” Tweedy asked herself, “what type of “own” did he mean? Picking cotton kind of own; have less African American kids graduating kind of own; keep predator lenders in our community own; difference in judicial sentencing own”? Whether the statement was real or not to cast the perception of the possibility is just as dangerous.
She encouraged everyone to find their purpose, raise your sleeves up, wake up, and get up. Bring value to the table wherever you sit.
Each speaker received a gift from the Roanoke Chapter NAACP which was a self portrait of themselves with the city they represent in the background.
