NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet
Featuring Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley presenting: Seize the Moment – Climate Change is a Civil Rights Issue
Sunday, September 16, 2018 | 6-8PM
Festival Ballroom, James Madison University, Harrisonburg
“Environmental injustice, including the proliferation of climate change, has a disproportionate impact on communities of color and low income communities in the United States and around the world. The NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program was created to support community leadership in addressing this human and civil rights issue.” https://www.naacp.org/issues/environmental-justice/
Harrisonburg-Rockingham County NAACP Branch #7132 and the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley are excited to be part of this program and to bring climate justice activist Dr. Gerald Durley to the 15th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet. This is the major fundraising event of the year for Branch 7132 and is vitally important to our work for civil rights.
Only rarely are we privileged to hear a speaker combine knowledge and experience, understanding, compassion and humanity. Even rarer is one who also speaks with such enthusiasm that he can inspire a whole room to rise up and seize the moment, ready to meet the challenge of climate justice right here in the Valley.
Dr. Gerald Durley, Pastor Emeritus of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, is such a person. While serving as Pastor, he became intensely involved in the climate change, global warming, and environmental justice movement. Rev. Dr. Durley now combines the disciplines of faith and science with the lessons learned as a civil/human rights advocate from the 1960’s. He believes that God created a perfect ecologically balanced world for humans to care for, but we are destroying it at an alarming rate. He asserts that for the environment to be saved, the educational, scientific, business, political, and faith communities must seek common solutions.
Dr. Durley has served on many interfaith associations and boards, including Interfaith Power and Light, as well as being a long-time member of NAACP of Atlanta. A few of his notable awards include the White House Champion of Change Award given by President Barack Obama and the placement of his name on the International Civil Rights: Walk of Fame in Atlanta.
You can watch one of his speeches, “Race, Faith and Climate Change: How Global Warming is a Civil Rights Issue,” at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgEO5GkBuQY
Tickets for the September 16th banquet are $40 per seat ($25 for students) and $300 for a table of 8.
The form to purchase tickets is HERE. Advanced sales only. Please print form and send it along with payment by August 27, 2018, to:
Harrisonburg- Rockingham County NAACP
C/O Freedom Fund
P.O. Box 1010
Harrisonburg, VA 22803
You may also purchase an endorsement in the 8″x10″ printed brochure. The form to purchase endorsements is HERE.
facebook event page HERE.
Dr. Durley recently received a letter from Ted Turner announcing his reception of the Captain Planet Exemplar Award. This will be given Dec. 7 ” In celebration of your commitment to a sustainable future, the fight against climate change, and your indefatigable work to spread the message of creation care…” He’ll be in good company with previous winners Jimmy Carter, Sir Richard Branson and Erin Brockovich, and others. I’m sure you will want to be there with us and the NAACP to congratulate him on this latest recognition. See the letter HERE.
Climate Action Alliance of the Valley 