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Vice President Joe Biden gives keynote address at Detroit NAACP dinner

Published  May 3, 2015 3:20pm EDT
News
FOX 2 Detroit

Vice President Joe Biden delivered the keynote address at the 60th annual NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund dinner Sunday at the Cobo Center. 

"We are extremely pleased that Vice President Joe Biden has accepted our invitation to come to the City of Detroit in celebration of the 60th Annual Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner," says Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, President, Detroit Branch NAACP. " As many may recall our first speaker was the Honorable Justice Thurgood Marshall.  It is historically inspiring that 60 years later a tradition of excellence and outstanding achievement in the cause of freedom and justice will be continued by our Vice President. We invite everyone to share in this historic moment."

The theme for this year's dinner was, "Celebrating Freedom: Measured by Practice, Treasured by Sacrifice," which paid homage to 50 years since the historic march in Selma (Bloody Sunday) that paved the way for the signing of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965.

Also U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow gave remarks at the dinner as well.

Rev. Anthony announced this year's special awardees. They are:


  • Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Michigan, 13th District), who will receive the James Weldon Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award;
  • Attorney Benjamin Crump, who will receive the Ida B Wells Freedom and Justice Award;
  • Kary Moss, Executive Director, ACLU – Michigan, who will receive the Mary Church Terrell Freedom and Justice Award;
  • Jessica Care Moore, Artist, Activist and Creator of Black Women Rock, who will receive the Great Expectations Award; and
  • Kevin Tolbert, Executive Director, UAW-Ford, National Programs Center, who will receive the Great Expectations Award.