Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 2-1-19

Feature
Award Recipients Chosen For NAACP Annual Freedom Fund Banquet
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The Hillsborough County Branch of the National Associ- ation for the Advancement of Colored People, (NAACP), will hold its Annual Freedom Fund Banquet on Friday, Feb- ruary 1st.
The event will take place at the Hilton Tampa Downtown, 211 North Tampa Street, 33602, beginning at 6 p.m. The theme for the banquet this year is, “Defeat Hate: Vote.” The theme lends itself from the National NAACP’s 109th Annual Convention held last summer.
The keynote speaker for the event this year is former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. Mayor Gillum made history last year when he became the first African American to win the Demo- cratic Party in the General Election. He was barely de- feated in the race.
A native of Miami, Mayor Gillum was raised in Gainesville. After graduating
MS. YVETTE LEWIS
... Freedom Fund Dinner Chairman and President, Hillsborough County Branch NAACP
from Gainesville High School, he moved to Tallahassee to at- tend Florida A & M University as a Political Science major.
The duties of Chairman- ship will be shared between Ms. Donna Douglas and Ms. Andrea White.
Award Recipients
This year, the Living Bridges Award will be pre- sented to Bishop Thomas Scott, pastor of 34th Street Church Of God.
A native of Macon, GA, Bishop Scott was called into the ministry in 1971. He later
ANDREW GILLUM Keynote Speaker
moved to Jacksonville, and later to Tampa. He became the pastor of the 22nd Street Church Of God in 1980. Under his guidance, the church pur- chased a new building, located at the corner of E. 21st Avenue and N. 34th Street. In keeping with their history, the mem- bers named the church after the street its located on.
Bishop Scott has served as its pastor for nearly 38 years.
In the community, Bishop Scott has served as a member of the Tampa City Council and the Hillsborough County Board of Commission-
BISHOP THOMAS SCOTT Living Bridges Award Recipient
ers. He has the distinction of being the only person to serve as chairman of both organiza- tions.
The “Marcus Garvey Unsung Hero Award” is being presented to the Open Café. Elder Willie Florence Gainer will accept it on be- half of the restaurant.
The “Ida B. Wells Un- sung Hero Award” will be presented to Carl Warren, Sr., Ph. D.
Dr. Warren is a Tampa native and graduate of Blake High School. He has obtained several degrees with honors. He is recognized as a provoca-
tive Writer, Human and Civil Rights activist. His outstand- ing literary record and aca- demic achievements are extensive.
Ms. Fran Tate has been chosen as the recipient of the “Ella Baker Unsung Hero Award.” A community stal- wart and unselfish individual, Ms. Tate is being recognized for her commitment to the or- ganization and community.
Rev. Dr. Russell L. Meyer is the recipient of the “Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Unsung Hero Award.” Rev. Meyer engages statewide interfaith efforts on climate, healthcare, justice re- form, refugees, and civic en- gagement. He was appointed to the Dozier Memorial Task Force in 2016 by State Legis- lators.
The following year, he helped facilitate the Floridians Standing with Refugees cam- paign to keep the state in the federal refugee resettlement program.
He is also the co-chairman of Tampa For Justice.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A