The NAACP Dane County Branch will host its 2026 Freedom Fund Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 10, bringing community members together to celebrate the organization’s civil rights work and highlight its ongoing efforts around civic engagement and community empowerment.
The event will take place at the Madison Concourse Hotel & Governor’s Club, with a reception at 6 p.m. so attendees can meet and connect before the dinner and program, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
This year’s theme, “We the People,” was introduced at the NAACP’s national convention in Chicago in July. Gwen Jones, a longtime NAACP Dane County member who is organizing the Freedom Fund event, says the theme reflects the organization’s commitment to ensuring that “We the People” includes everyone.
“Some know it as the opening of the Preamble to the Constitution,” Jones tells Madison365. “But it’s really about how you interpret ‘We the People.’ It means all of the people — not just some people or those who have certain privileges or entitlements.”
The evening will feature Anthony Ashton, senior associate general counsel for the NAACP, as a featured speaker. Ashton develops litigation strategies addressing civil rights issues including voting rights, educational opportunity, economic empowerment, criminal justice and health equity, according to his official bio, and he also handles a range of legal and organizational matters for the NAACP.
Jones says Ashton’s appearance will provide an opportunity to discuss current civil rights issues and the organization’s work.
The NAACP is a nonpartisan organization, Jones says, but she expects Ashton to address issues affecting civil rights and communities under the current Trump administration.
The Freedom Fund Dinner will also include a new recognition honoring several Dane County community leaders who have recently died, including Michael Johnson, Teresa Sanders, Barbara Nichols, Bishop Eugene Johnson, Naomi Carter and Rev. Larry Jackson.
“These were people whose activities and actions in our community made a true difference,” Jones says. “The footprint that they left behind was so big.”
One of the branch’s most visible annual events, the Freedom Fund Dinner, serves as its primary fundraiser, supporting the organization’s civil rights and community initiatives.
As a longstanding civil rights organization in Madison, NAACP Dane County also serves as a grassroots advocacy organization focused on voting, education, youth achievement, discrimination and racial equity.
One of the branch’s current priorities is voter outreach, particularly among young and first-time voters. Jones says the branch is working to provide students with information about voter registration and the importance of participating in elections.
“If you turned 18 before Election Day, you really need to register to vote,” Jones says. “That’s our big push, especially students of color.”
Jones says the effort is intended to address voter apathy and encourage young people to recognize the impact of their participation.
“We want them to know that their vote counts more than ever,” she says.
Jones says she hopes to see people of all ages at the annual Freedom Fund dinner, which is also “an opportunity for community members to connect, learn and leave inspired.”
“I find this event to be just really very inspirational and very enjoyable,” Jones says. “People need to feel that they learned something. They need the right connections and they want to have fun … those types of things.”
For tickets to the 2026 Freedom Fund Dinner, click here.
