The 2026 Jondelle Johnson Freedom Fund Dinner, will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Courtland Grand Hotel, 165a Courtland Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia.
This year’s theme, “The Power Is in Your Hand,” reflects the responsibility we each carry to advance justice, strengthen our communities, and help create meaningful and lasting change.
The Freedom Fund Dinner was one of the Atlanta Branch’s most significant annual gatherings. It is with distinguished pleasure that this event resumes after a 11 year hiatus. It will bring together community leaders, advocates, educators, business professionals, and supporters for an evening of unity, purpose, and progress. The event will also help generate essential support for the branch’s continued civil rights advocacy, community programming, and efforts to empower individuals and families throughout Atlanta.
We are living in a defining moment—one that calls on us to reclaim our unity, our confidence, and our responsibility to one another. There was a time when we stood boldly in our Black identity and proudly supported institutions like the NAACP, which has defended our rights and dignity since 1909. Yet today, too many of us have drifted from that foundation—becoming disconnected, overly dependent, and uncertain of our own power. That loss of faith is misplaced.
We have done this before. We built strong, self-sustaining Black communities with our own businesses, schools, hospitals, banks, and institutions—not by begging, but by building. This presidency is rooted in unity, collaboration, and economic empowerment—bringing together civil rights organizations, faith institutions, labor, educators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders around a shared purpose. It is time to stop waiting to be included in what others have built and start building again for ourselves.
Join the ATL NAACP Branch and stand with us in the Stop Begging and Start Building Initiative—a movement grounded in action, ownership, accountability, and collective strength. Our power is not in a building or a title. Our power is you. Together, we can unify. Together, we can build. Together, we can secure our future.
The ATL NAACP Branch committees are the backbone of our work and the primary way members turn passion into impact. Each committee is designed to address specific community needs while advancing the broader mission of civil rights, social justice, and equity. Through advocacy, education, service, and collaboration, our committees allow members to apply their skills, experiences, and voices where they are needed most.
Whether you are interested in policy, youth development, health equity, economic justice, communications, or faith-based engagement, there is a committee that aligns with your interests and strengths. By serving on a committee, members help shape strategy, lead initiatives, and deliver real solutions that support individuals, families, and neighborhoods across Atlanta.
Democracy works best when everyone participates. Register, stay informed, and show up to vote — because progress happens when people take part in the process and stand up for the future they believe in.
