The Montgomery County-Radford City-Floyd County Branch of the NAACP hosted the area’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration on January 17 as a virtual event.
One hundred and fifteen individuals or households had their computers tuned in to the celebration.
Following a welcome by Mistress of Ceremonies Karen Jones and an invocation by the Rev. Ryan Schaeffer of Asbury United Methodist Church, the celebration opened with James Weldon
Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Branch officers were elected recently for 2021-2022: Deborah H. Travis, president; Dr. William
H. Hendricks, first vice president; Terry Goodson, secretary; Dr. Jill Stewart, treasurer; Allen W. Palmer, assistant treasurer; and four executive committee members-at-large: Shirley Akers, Gunin Kiran, the Rev. Marlin Reeves and the Rev. Michael Sanborn.
Da’Quan Love, the Executive Director of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, was on hand to install the officers.
The annual Branch Community Service Awards in honor of Dr. King went to Judith B. Diggs of Christiansburg and Benzena L. Eaves of the Wake Forest community near Blacksburg.
The branch also recognized Allen W. Palmer with a special service award for his fifteen years as treasurer. Palmer also functions as the treasurer for his church and for numerous other community organizations.
Judy Diggs has been an active lifelong member of Asbury United Methodist Church and is a
Silver Life Member of the NAACP. She has held leadership positions in both organizations.
Her passion is children. She has worked for the Montgomery County Public School system for over 36 years as a special education teacher and a speech specialist, as Director of Student Services for several years, and is currently the Director of Equity and Diversity, working to provide a more inclusive environment in the school system and to provide equity in the educational achievement process.
Benzena Eaves is a devoted member of the New Pentecostal United Holy Church in Wake
Forest, where she has organized fund-raising for renovations and community assistance. Eaves and her late husband started Eaves Affordable Homes, where for many years, houses were purchased, renovated and sold providing not only affordable housing for residents but also equity income to assist in the community.
Eaves has a 44-year career with Volvo in Dublin, working as a quality inspector and as a customer relations liaison. As a leader in the United Auto Workers Union, she has advocated
for equal pay for women and helped assist women in building their credit, which would enable them to purchase homes and acquire loans.
Eaves has long been a member of this branch of the NAACP and has served on the Housing
Committee and as a Member-at-Large on the Executive Committee.
The branch’s youth council nurtures the next generation of leaders and advocates through cultural education and service projects. Youth Council President Tyler Graves, a sophomore at Blacksburg High School, brought greetings from the youth and recited June Jordan’s poem, “In Memoriam: Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Mrs. Roxie Palmer, chair of the branch membership committee, made a special appeal for attendees to join the NAACP. Regular membership is $30 per year.
The branch’s Samuel H. Clark Memorial Scholarship Fund provides up to five scholarships of
$1,000 apiece to local youth involved in the NAACP who extend their education beyond high school at a college or technical school. The 2020 Scholarship winners were Allison Foster,
Christiansburg High School, attending Radford University; Gabrielle Pascoe, Atlee High School, attending Christopher Newport University; Alia Saunders, Radford High School, attending New River Community College; and Amara Wingo, Patrick Henry High School, attending Radford University.
Dr. Jill Stewart, Treasurer, encouraged those wishing to contribute to this worthy cause to send a check for “M-R-F NAACP” Memorial Scholarship Fund to: M-R-F NAACP, P. O. Box 6044, Christiansburg, VA 24068.
Jonathan Holmes composed and performed a keyboard piece, “The Time is Always Right to Do
Right,” in honor of Dr. King. Holmes ended his performance by reminding those gathered to
“keep fighting to do right.”
Shirley Akers, Executive Committee Member-at-Large, introduced the keynote speaker, the Rev.
Jefferson Jones. Three years ago, Rev. Jones started Surge: A Worship Experience for College
Students and Young Professionals. More recently he has begun an on-line ministry: Race and
theYoung Adult group.
Rev. Jones took as the title for his talk, “The Strength to Love,” which is also the title of one of
Dr. King’s most famous sermons. He began by recalling the year-long litany of events that threatened to sap our strength: the deaths of many young Blacks at the hands of law enforcement; the COVID-19 pandemic with its disproportionate impact on minority communities; the deaths of significant figures in the Black community, such as athlete Kobe Bryant, mathematician
Katherine Johnson, Rep. John Lewis, and actor Chadwick Boseman; and unprecedented political polarization, culminating in the terrorist attack on the Capitol Building and the congress on
January 6. Jones used boxing terminology to call this past year a “hard punch to the liver.” In light of all this, Jones wondered how we have the strength to love.
According to Jones, the strength to love requires five things: self-care, a soft heart, the willingness to go into unfamiliar territory and have hard conversations, courageous action and the ability to love our enemies. Jones called on those gathered to be disciplined non-conformists committed to justice, peace and brotherhood.
Branch President Deborah H. Travis thanked the speaker for his vision and encouragement and closed with a final quotation from Dr. King: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” She urged those gathered to follow Dr. King’s example and continue the work of advocating for justice for all.
The general body meetings of the local NAACP branch are held on the fourth Sunday of each month. Everyone is welcome. Email info@mrfnaacp.org for a link to the branch’s virtual meetings.