News

The Tri-City NAACP Hosts Freedom Fund Gala

Published

9 years ago

January 6, 2018

By Danette Mitchell

The Tri-City NAACP (Vacaville, Fairfield and Suisun City) recently hosted its sold-out annual Freedom Fund Gala at the Sunrise Banquet Hall and Event Center in Vacaville with a theme of “Stay Awake to Avoid the Rollback of Our Progress.”

The keynote speaker was 81-year-old Bobby Seale, Founder of the Black Panther Party, and Dr. Claybon Lea, Jr., Senior Pastor of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Fairfield, who also spoke.

Seale talked about his days in the Black Panther Party founded in 1966 with Huey Newton. The Party’s goal was political unity. He said at that time, there were about 50,000 people in elected political offices yet only 5,000 were African Americans. He also said the Party was instrumental in getting some blacks elected to political offices and that he ran for mayor of Oakland. The Party spearheaded a number of community social programs that included the Free Breakfast for Children program.

Seale said while in prison, he endured many beatings and was always under the watchful eye of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover who labeled the Party a radical group and tried to discredit them. Yet their membership grew and included chapters in Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Philadelphia.

Seale also mentioned that he and Newton drafted the Ten-Point Program that established the direction and goals of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense that included education, fair housing and an end to police brutality.

Johnicon George, Sr., President of Tri-City NAACP, said his takeaway from Seale’s speech was that blacks must educate themselves not only academically, but also politically. The community needs to make sure that it puts qualified people in political offices and get people registered to vote.

Dr. Lea’s speech, titled, “Lessons from Selma,” consisted of five points to facilitate social change. They were: know that the vote is more powerful than the voice, empower and entrust local leaders, engage voters early and often, equip activists with resources including money, and enforce accountability of elected officials which was a significant takeaway for George, he said.

As president of the Tri-City NAACP, George’s top goals for 2018 are to model the NAACP plan used in the recent Alabama race that mobilized African Americans and helped lead newly-elected Democratic senator Doug Jones to victory. His other goals are to impact Solano County’s 2018 elections by also bringing together other local organizations such as the Fairfield-Suisun City-Vacaville Section of the National Council of Negro Women and the Northern California Democratic Club.

The Tri-City NAACP recognized several individuals for their outstanding work in the community. Other awards given were the Presidential Medal of Freedom award to the Rev. Oneal Young, Jr. and the Young Adult Presidential Freedom Award given both to Roman Robinson and Madison Marie Young.

Throughout the event, live entertainment was provided by soloist Khela Campos with keyboardist and DJ Tosh for the dance portion of the night.

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Black History

HISTORY MADE: Keisha Lance Bottoms Becomes First Black Woman Elected Governor in American History

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — History has been made in Georgia. Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, has been elected governor of Georgia, becoming the first Black woman in American history to win the highest executive office in any state.

Published

1 week ago

November 5, 2026

Post News Group

Keisha Lance Bottoms during her 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary victory speech. Photo: Sikis2021 / Wikimedia Commons.

History has been made in Georgia. Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, has been elected governor of Georgia, becoming the first Black woman in American history to win the highest executive office in any state.

Bottoms’ victory over Republican businessman Rick Jackson represents a defining moment in American politics, breaking a barrier that has stood since the nation’s founding and placing Georgia at the center of a historic political transformation.

For generations, Black women have played a critical role in American democracy, organizing communities, leading movements, mobilizing voters and shaping public policy. Yet despite their contributions, no Black woman had ever been elected governor of a U.S. state.

Until now.

Bottoms’ election also makes her the first woman and first Black person elected governor of Georgia, a state whose political history has been deeply shaped by slavery, segregation, the civil rights movement and the long struggle for equal representation.

Her victory carries particular significance in a state where Black women have been among the most influential forces in voter registration, political organizing and Democratic electoral success.

A fifth-generation Georgian, Bottoms previously served as Atlanta’s 60th mayor from 2018 to 2022. During her administration, she led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, nationwide protests over racial injustice and a period of significant economic and population growth.

Following her time as mayor, Bottoms served as a senior adviser in President Joe Biden’s administration before returning to Georgia politics to pursue the governorship.

Her campaign focused on expanding access to health care, strengthening public education, increasing wages and addressing the rising cost of living. She also advocated for expanding Medicaid, raising Georgia’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and increasing compensation for teachers and other public employees.

Bottoms faced Jackson, a wealthy health care executive who invested heavily in his campaign and positioned himself as a political outsider. The contest drew national attention as Democrats sought to reclaim the Georgia governor’s office after more than two decades of Republican control.

The historic nature of Bottoms’ victory extends well beyond party politics.

Georgia, once at the center of some of America’s most consequential civil rights battles, has now elected a Black woman to lead its state government. It is a milestone that reflects generations of political participation, organizing and leadership by Black Georgians.

For Atlanta, the moment is especially significant. A former mayor of the city that helped shape the modern civil rights movement will now lead the entire state.

Bottoms’ election opens a new chapter in Georgia’s political history and establishes a milestone that will be remembered far beyond the 2026 election.

For continuing election coverage and results, visit AtlantaDailyWorld.com/election26.