The annual fundraiser dinner for the NAACP is an awards ceremony where the Jacksonville Branch pays tribute to those who have dedicated their time and energy in pursuing equality in a variety of areas. The awardees represent interests in education, government, business, and community service.

The NAACP Freedom Fund dinner began in 1953 (on a national level) as a ten year program to intensify efforts to complete the job of emancipation. The Jacksonville branch held its first Freedom Fund Dinner in the cafeteria of the Brewster Hospital in June 1963. The speaker was Medgar Evers, the heroic Mississippi Field Secretary. Less than a month later, he was killed by an assassin’s bullet. This prompted NAACP Chairman Bishop Stephen Spottswood to pay tribute to this gallant warrior at the NAACP Convention in Chicago, Illinois in July 1963. He did so by proclaiming that “the NAACP Fight Fund for Freedom continue until the job of emancipating our people is complete.”

Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, is the Senior Pastor of the Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas and has served for 30 years leading with a commitment to Christ, passion for people, and a yearning for community transformation. To that end, he has grown Friendship-West to nearly 12,000 during his tenure as Pastor. Possessing a commitment to education, he has a Bachelor’s Degree from Bishop College, a Masters of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation.

Dr. Haynes is an author, radio show host and a Pastor. In all he does he exudes the mantra of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – believing in the urgency of now and marrying theology with a call to impact our sociological issues. Dr. Haynes serves in various leadership capacities for organizations who champion social change. He is the Trustee Chair of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference; Board of Directors member of the National Action Network; and Board of Directors member of the Conference of National Black Churches. He demonstrates a commitment to intellectual excellence in both the church and academia and has been a Board Member of Paul Quinn College where he has also acted as an adjunct professor. For his life-long commitment to the fight for social justice, Dr. Haynes was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame on January 22, 2016, in Atlanta, Georgia.

The deadline for submitting nominees forms is July 30, 2022.

Recipient will have a history of demonstrated exceptional service and devotion to the larger community (local, regional/state, national, or global), including volunteerism in community service and outreach with particular emphasis on the following criteria (priority should be given to activities within the last five years):