Fight for Freedom Fund Luncheon 2024

By Jennifer L. Warren

POUGHKEEPSIE – “This is not just an event, but a call to action against injustice and for equality that is not over and continues every day,” said Barrington Randall Atkins, president of the NAACP Northern Dutchess Branch. “We matter, and if one of us is oppressed, we are all oppressed.”

Welcoming a large group of attendees to the 2024 Fight for Freedom Fund Luncheon on Saturday at the Doubletree by Hilton in the city of Poughkeepsie, Atkins then outlined the broad vision that guides the fight of the 115-year-old NAACP organization: to ensure civil and human rights without discrimination and to fight for the precious freedom of all people. He then listed the symbolic qualities each of the event's honorees possessed that aligned with the NAACP's mission.

“Today we celebrate and honor the trailblazers who have stood up for equality, given us hope in times of despair, and hope for a reality we can all achieve together,” Atkins said of those honored at this year's luncheon who have made groundbreaking contributions to civil rights, social justice and the empowerment of their communities.

One of the honorees was Karmen Smallwood, who received the Judge Jane Bolin Justice Award. She is the deputy youth commissioner for Dutchess County. Smallwood leads the Path to Promise initiative and is involved in the Youth and Police initiative to combat school violence. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years.

“I am honored to receive this award,” said Smallwood. “This recognition strengthens my resolve to continue to advocate for the youth and marginalized groups in our community.”
Another honoree who advocates for youth, 28-year-old Jordan Schinella, received the Trailblazer Freedom Award. Schinella, a hard-working community leader who worked as a child care worker at the Poughkeepsie Children's Home and now serves as an independent skills care manager, is “guided by justice, compassion and meaningful change.”

Anna Wilson, another recipient of this year's luncheon, has worked with the Poughkeepsie City School District for five decades working with our youth, dedicated to mentoring young people – and their families – and helping them ensure a better future.

“It was a pleasure and honor to receive the Mary McLeod Bethune Educational Leadership Award,” Wilson said. “I pray that all of you will contribute to the mental and emotional health of our youth.”

Other community icons honored included Annette B. Quarles (John J. Johnson Corporate Business Award), a 26-year IBM employee who has been involved in various leadership and management positions while maintaining a strong commitment to community service; Josayne M. Anderson-Tejera (Millennial Leadership Award), an Equity and Inclusion Officer for Dutchess County Government who served as a Community Supervisor for the New York State Department of Corrections for seven years; Elder Herman Shannon (Reverend Fred Shuttleworth Religious Engagement Award), a minister for 41 years and six years of service in the United States Armed Forces; and the Sugar Hill Gang (Lifetime in Music Award), “considered by many to be the first professional hip-hop group for introducing this unprecedented genre of music to the masses.”

The three-hour lunch, which also included musical entertainment, a quiz session on various NAACP-related topics, and plenty of opportunities for socializing and networking, included a special memorial service honoring the legacy of Lula Mae-Parker Harris with the Civic Engagement Award. And the backdrop to it all was the NAACP's unwavering commitment and important role in the community.

“We as a community should support our local NAACP,” Wilson said. “We should help it grow in any way we can.”