Tallahassee Branch NAACP

09/05/2026

09/02/2026

🥫💙 DON’T FORGET YOUR CANNED GOODS! 💛🥫

Tomorrow, we’re gathering for the 41st Annual NAACP Tallahassee Branch Freedom Fund Banquet, and we’re asking every attendee to bring a little something extra with them: canned goods and non-perishable food items!

In partnership with VyStar Credit Union, we’re turning our Freedom Fund Banquet into another opportunity to serve our community.

Before you head out the door in your semi-formal best, grab a few items from the pantry! 🥫

Great items to bring include:
🥫 Canned vegetables
🥫 Canned beans
🥫 Soups and stews
🥫 Canned fruit
🥫 Tuna and other canned proteins
🥫 Peanut butter
🥫 Pasta, rice and other non-perishable staples

Your donation will help support Good News Outreach and neighbors in our community experiencing food insecurity.

✨ Freedom is also making sure our neighbors have what they need.

📅 Tomorrow | Thursday, September 3
🚪 Doors Open: 5:00 PM
🍽️ Program Begins: 6:00 PM
📍 FSU Student Union Ballroom
75 N. Woodward Avenue
👗 Attire: Semi-Formal

Already have your outfit ready? Put your canned goods by the door tonight so you don’t forget them tomorrow! 😉

💙💛 We’ll see you at the Freedom Fund Banquet — canned goods in hand!

09/02/2026

🏆 HONOREE HIGHLIGHT: FIRE CHIEF GENE SANDERS 🏆

The NAACP Tallahassee Branch is proud to honor Fire Chief Gene Sanders with the NAACP Tallahassee Branch President’s Award at our 41st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet!

A Tallahassee native and proud product of the Southside, Chief Sanders has dedicated nearly three decades to serving and protecting our community through the Tallahassee Fire Department.

Since beginning his career with TFD in 1997, he has risen through the ranks from Firefighter to Fire Chief, serving in numerous leadership roles along the way. His career has been marked not only by professional excellence, but also by a commitment to prevention, education, neighborhood engagement, and ensuring Tallahassee families have access to resources that can save lives.

Chief Sanders represents the kind of leadership that reminds us that service is more than a position. It is a commitment to showing up for your community, year after year.

💙💛 Please join us in congratulating Fire Chief Gene Sanders, recipient of the NAACP Tallahassee Branch President’s Award!

We look forward to celebrating Chief Sanders and all of our 2026 honorees TOMORROW NIGHT at the 41st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet.

📅 Thursday, September 3, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM | Doors open at 5:30 PM
📍 FSU Student Union Ballroom
75 N. Woodward Avenue, Tallahassee
👗 Attire: Semi-Formal

🥫 Don’t forget your canned good! We’re partnering with VyStar Credit Union to collect canned goods and non-perishable food items to support our community.

Until Freedom. ✊🏾

08/31/2026

💙💛 HONOREE HIGHLIGHT: PASTOR DEREK MAURICE STEELE 💛💙

This recognition carries special meaning for the NAACP Tallahassee Branch.

We are honored to posthumously recognize the late Pastor Derek Maurice Steele with The C.K. Steele Civil Rights Award at our 41st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet. Pastor Steele passed away earlier this month, making this moment one of both celebration and remembrance as we honor a life dedicated to faith, service, restoration, and community.

The son of legendary civil rights leader Reverend Charles “C.K.” Steele, Pastor Derek inherited an extraordinary legacy of advocacy and service. Yet, throughout his life, he also built a legacy that was uniquely his own.

A Tallahassee native, pastor, and community advocate, Pastor Steele devoted himself to reaching people where they were and believing deeply in the power of redemption and second chances. He served as a chaplain with DISC Village, ministered to incarcerated individuals through prison ministry, supported outreach to people experiencing homelessness, and founded the C.K. Steele Human Rights Institute, Inc. in 2021.

His own journey through personal challenges helped shape a ministry grounded in compassion, dignity, restoration, and the belief that our past does not have to determine our future.

There is profound significance in honoring Pastor Derek Maurice Steele with an award bearing his father’s name. Though we mourn his recent passing, we are grateful for the opportunity to lift up his life, his work, and the impact he made on the Tallahassee community.

We invite you to join us as we remember and celebrate Pastor Derek Maurice Steele and present The C.K. Steele Civil Rights Award in his honor, posthumously.

📅 Thursday, September 3, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 FSU Student Union Ballroom
👗 Attire: Semi-Formal
🎟️ Tickets are still available!

Purchase tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tallahassee-branch-naacp-freedom-fund-banquet

💙 Until Freedom.

08/31/2026

💙💛 HONOREE SPOTLIGHT: CARMEN CUMMINGS MARTIN 💛💙

The NAACP Tallahassee Branch is proud to recognize Carmen Cummings Martin as the recipient of the James Hudson Citizenship Award at the 41st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet.

The James Hudson Citizenship Award honors individuals who exemplify the very best of civic responsibility, community engagement, leadership, and service. Through her commitment to serving others and strengthening our community, Carmen Cummings Martin embodies the spirit of this distinguished recognition.

Her work reminds us that citizenship is about more than where we live. It is about how we show up, how we serve, how we advocate, and how we use our time and talents to make our community better for those around us.

We look forward to celebrating Carmen and her contributions alongside this year’s remarkable class of honorees.

Join us for the 41st Annual NAACP Tallahassee Branch Freedom Fund Banquet as we honor those whose leadership and service continue to move our community forward.

📅 Thursday, September 3, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 FSU Student Union Ballroom
👗 Attire: Semi-Formal

🎟️ Tickets are still available!
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tallahassee-branch-naacp-freedom-fund-banquet

💙 Until Freedom.

08/31/2026

💙💛 HONOREE HIGHLIGHT: DAMON MILLER, JR. 💛💙

The NAACP Tallahassee Branch is proud to recognize Damon Miller, Jr. as a 2026 Freedom Fund Banquet honoree!

A Tallahassee native and proud two-time FAMU graduate, Mr. Miller has dedicated two decades to serving his hometown through the Tallahassee Police Department. Since beginning his law enforcement career in 2006, he has served across numerous divisions and specialty units and was recently promoted to Captain, where he serves as Commander of TPD’s Operational Support Division.

But his service extends far beyond the badge. Mr. Miller has spent years investing in mentorship, community engagement, and the next generation, including serving as a guest lecturer at Florida A&M University and working with organizations and initiatives throughout Tallahassee.

His commitment to leadership, service, mentorship, and community reflects the spirit of the work we celebrate through the Freedom Fund Banquet.

Please join us as we honor Damon Miller, Jr. and an incredible group of community leaders at the 41st Annual NAACP Tallahassee Branch Freedom Fund Banquet.

📅 Thursday, September 3, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 FSU Student Union Ballroom
👗 Attire: Semi-Formal
🎟️ Tickets are still available!

Purchase tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tallahassee-branch-naacp-freedom-fund-banquet

💙 Until Freedom.

08/28/2026

💙💛 HONOREE SPOTLIGHT: MAURICE HOLMES 💛💙

The NAACP Tallahassee Branch is proud to recognize retired Tallahassee Police Department Deputy Chief Maurice Holmes as the recipient of the George W. Colony Community Service Award at our 41st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet.

A native of Tallahassee’s Southside and the Bond Community, Maurice Holmes has dedicated his career to public service and strengthening the community that helped shape him.

Holmes began his law enforcement career with the Tallahassee Police Department and rose through the ranks, ultimately being appointed Deputy Chief in 2020.

We look forward to honoring Maurice Holmes for his commitment to service, leadership, and the Tallahassee community.

📅 Thursday, September 3, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 FSU Student Union Ballroom
🎟️ Tickets are still available here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tallahassee-branch-naacp-freedom-fund-banquet

Join us as we celebrate Maurice Holmes and an outstanding group of community leaders at an evening centered on our 2026 theme, “Until Freedom.”

08/28/2026

💙💛 2026 FREEDOM FUND BANQUET HONOREE SPOTLIGHT 💙💛

The NAACP Tallahassee Branch is proud to honor Dr. Temple O. Robinson with The Humanitarian Award at our 41st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet.

For more than two decades, Dr. Robinson has dedicated her leadership and medical expertise to expanding access to quality healthcare in our community. She joined Bond Community Health Center in 2003, serving for 12 years as Chief Medical Officer before becoming CEO in 2015.

A graduate of Meharry Medical College, Dr. Robinson has built her career around the belief that access to quality healthcare is a civil right. Through her leadership at Bond, she has championed culturally responsive care while helping strengthen an institution that provides vital healthcare services to individuals and families throughout our community.

The Humanitarian Award recognizes those whose compassion, service, and leadership improve the lives of others. Dr. Robinson’s commitment to health equity and ensuring our neighbors have access to the care they deserve embodies the very spirit of this honor.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Temple O. Robinson, recipient of the 2026 Humanitarian Award! 👏🏾💐

Join us as we celebrate Dr. Robinson and all of our distinguished 2026 honorees at an evening dedicated to community, service, and our continued pursuit of freedom.

📅 Thursday, September 3, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 FSU Student Union Ballroom 725

🎟️ Tickets are still available! Secure your seat today:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tallahassee-branch-naacp-freedom-fund-banquet

💙 Sponsorship opportunities are also still available.

For sponsorship information, contact Freedom Fund Banquet Chairwoman ChaKiara Tucker:
📞 404-771-0290
📧 [email protected]

08/27/2026

💙💛 HONOREE SPOTLIGHT | OMEGA FORBES II

The NAACP Tallahassee Branch is proud to recognize Omega Forbes II as the recipient of the Adner Marcelin Youth Award at our 41st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet!

A 2026 graduate of Amos P. Godby High School and now a freshman at Florida State University, Omega is already building an impressive legacy of leadership, service, and creativity. He was selected as one of only seven students in the 2026 class to join FSU’s highly competitive Musical Theatre program.

During his time at Godby, Omega served as Student Body President, President of Distinguished Young Gentlemen of America, Inc., and Co-Chair of the Leon County Schools Student Advisory Council. He also helped make history as a member of Godby’s first team to win the District Black History Brain Bowl and became the first student from his school to advance to the International Thespian Festival.

Omega reminds us that young people are not simply the leaders of tomorrow. They are leading, serving, creating, and making an impact right now.

Join us as we celebrate Omega Forbes II and recognize the next generation of leaders carrying the work forward.

📅 Thursday, September 3, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 FSU Student Union Ballroom
✨ Theme: “Until Freedom”

🎟️ Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are still available!

🥫 We’re also proud to partner with VyStar Credit Union for the Good Starts Here Food Drive, benefiting Good News Outreach. We’re asking every attendee to bring at least one canned good.

Help us congratulate Omega Forbes II, our 2026 Adner Marcelin Youth Award recipient! 💙💛