Politics & Government
NAACP's Morris County Branch Celebrates 80th Anniversary
Several Morris County residents honored at event.
The Morris County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) celebrated its 80th Anniversary at the Parsippany Hilton on Friday night with its annual Freedom Fund Banquet. NAACP officers, members, friends, elected officials, and others attended the event, which was in recognition of the Morris County Branch's perseverance and dedication throughout the years.
Past and present NAACP members, as well as a number of Morris County residents, were acknowledged for contributions to their communities on Friday night, as scholarships were awarded to three Morris County students, Samia Jones (Howard University), Keeshana Marshall (Tuskegee University) and Bria Thomason (Hampton University).
Along with several other members of the military who were honored, three Morris County residents received the “Soldier of Valor Award", including Tom Clark, first vice president of the NAACP Morris County Branch, Gregory Miller-McIver and Alexander A. Hall, Sr.
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Clark was a Marine during the Korean War, while Miller-McIver served in the Army from 1965-75. Hall Sr. served in the Army during World War II in the Pacific Theater at Guam.
“This is the 150th anniversary year of the United States Civil War. A war caused by racism, a war that caused suffering in the north and south,” Morris County Branch President Keith Bodden said at the event. “In that war, African-American men and women served. In all of America’s wars, including the Revolutionary War, African-Americans have served to protect the homeland from enemies both foreign and domestic. Tonight we proudly recognize soldiers of honor, soldiers of valor, soldiers of African-American decent.”
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Presentations were given by Sen. Anthony Bucco, New Jersey 25th Legislative District, Morristown Mayor Timothy P. Dougherty and Morristown Councilwoman Raline Smith-Reid.
The Morris County Branch was founded in Morristown in 1931, with just 50 members. The national version of the NAACP was founded in 1909 in New York City by a group of black and white citizens fighting for social justice.
