Freedom Fund Awards Speakers Highlight Importance of Unity
Keith Beauchamp, producer of a documentary on Emmet Till, speaks at the Berkshire NAACP Freedom Fund Awards at Berkshire Hills Country Club.
More than 200 people turned out at the Berkshire Hills Country Club for the presentation of awards and to hear speakers, many of whom showcased the importance of unification and continuing the fight to maintain the freedom and opportunities their predecessors strived to obtain.
"Tonight, I want to speak candidly about a deeply troubling trend that threatens the freedom and opportunities we have fought so hard to achieve — the freedom many in this room have sacrificed for, protested for, and worked tirelessly to protect," Berkshire County Branch NAACP President Dennis Powell said in his opening remarks.
Powell highlighted the recent work that has been done and continues to be done in dismantling programs designed to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order, "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] Programs And Preferencing."
The order criticizes the policy implemented by the Biden administration, describing it as wasteful and discriminatory.
Powell demonstrated how some of the corporations that community members frequently visit, including Target, Walmart, Meta, and McDonalds, have scaled back or dismantled their DEI initiatives meant to foster equity and inclusion in their workplace.
"This stance is hypocrisy at its finest. These corporations thrive because of our communities," he said.
These corporations have profited from diversity by using the stories of marginalized communities but abandon these values when political circumstances change, indicating they prioritize profit over the protection of community progress, Powell said.
"Let me be clear: this is not just a corporate issue. It's a moral failure. These rollbacks are not merely 'policy changes.' They are attacks on opportunity, attacks on justice, and attacks on the belief that everyone deserves a fair shot, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or background," he said.
"But I say this to every corporation that has turned its back on DEl: we see you, and we will hold you accountable. We will not support businesses that profit off our communities while erasing the programs that uplift them."
This is why the work of the NAACP is more critical than ever and will not stand idly by as past generations' work is rolled back, he said.
The funds raised during Saturday's event will be invested in the "next generation of leaders, young people of color, and immigrants who will continue this fight for justice and equality," said Powell.
"Every dollar raised tonight goes towards creating opportunities for those students to ensure they succeed and thrive in a world that tells them they are not enough. But let me tell you this: Our students are more than enough. Our communities are more than enough. And together, we are unstoppable. ...
"So, as we celebrate our progress and honor those who stand with us, let us also recommit ourselves to fighting ahead; let us demand accountability from corporations, policymakers, and one another. Because justice is not a trend, equity is not a buzzword. Inclusion is not optional."
This sentiment was further demonstrated by keynote speaker and W.E.B Du Bois Award recipient Keith Beauchamp, known for the award-winning documentary "The Untold Story of Emmett Lois Till," which was instrumental in the U.S. Department of Justice reopening the case in 2004.
"Du Bois wasn't just an intellectual giant. He was a radical. Was a radical visionary who understood that our fight for freedom was not just about the matter of law policies, but of the very soul of this nation, his commitment to truth justice resonates deeply with me, as it does with so many of us who are here this evening," Beauchamp said.
The Brooklyn, N.Y., filmmaker said he was thrown through a loop after the election because although he has been in the fight for equality his entire life, he never thought in a million years he would see "history repeat itself, and that's what's happening in this country," he said.
"This is not just an honor, but a recognition of the work we all do together to ensure that the history of our struggles, the pain of our losses and the brilliance of our triumphs are not forgotten or fade away," Beauchamp said.
"It is a recognition of truth telling, the fierce resistance and the love for justice that has driven each step of my journey, and it is an honor that I share with you all who have walked beside me in this fight."
He said his journey as a filmmaker was driven by the same commitment and the truth.
"I came to it in a deep sense of duty to ensure that the story of Emmett Lois Till and the countless others who were silenced by violence and hate was heard," he said. "But we must not look only backwards. We must also look forward with resolve. Justice does not rest in the past. It's a living and breathing fight that demands our attention and our inner energy every single day."
Within just a few days of taking office, Trump has managed to disrupt positive progression won during the turbulent past, Beauchamp said, and built a roadblock in the mission for freedom and equity by eliminating or undermining a host of initiatives, from DEI to deportation of those seeking asylum.
"As we think about the future of the United States, we must remember that justice requires more than just simply awareness," he said. "It requires action, whether it's in the form of peaceful protest, U.S. political activism, a community organizing. We must stand up and speak out against these injustices that is plaguing our community and our society."
2025 Award Recipients:
W.E.B Du Bois Award: Keith Beauchamp
The President Allyship Awards: Greylock Federal Credit Union Leadership Team for its community support and mission to embrace equity and inclusion, and Thasia Giles, director of community engagement at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival who also serves on NAACP's executive board and W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee.
Jahaira Dealto Award: Raei Bridges, founder and director of Black and Wild, which seeks to connect Black, indigenous and people of color with nature.
Dorthy 'Aunt Dot' Davis Indigenous People's Award: Shawn Stevens, a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans who seeks to reconnect his people and this community and co-director of Alliance for a Viable Future.
President Mentorship Award: Will Singleton, past president of the Berkshire NAACP and longtime educator, he is continues to volunteer in the community.
Emmett Till Youth Award: Malachi Perry, the former Pittsfield High player has a passion and dedication for basketball and sees it as "pathway to growth and limitless possibilities."
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