Martinsville’s participation in the local NAACP’s upcoming scholarship gala will be decided at a specially called meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at city hall.
The meeting came at the request of the Martinsville-Henry County NAACP branch to accommodate the timing of the gala, which is scheduled for Nov. 14, before the next regularly scheduled council meeting.
NAACP representative James McNair attended the Oct. 14 city council meeting to talk about the event, which will be the first gala to be held since the pandemic.
The Freedom Fund Scholarship Gala is a local, state and national event at which scholarships are provided to students. This year’s Martinsville-Henry County scholarship recipients are Magna Vista High School graduate Ethan Dukes and Winston-Salem State University student Khameryn Millner. The size of the scholarships varies, and this year’s scholarship packages haven’t been decided on, according to NAACP treasurer Valeria Edwards.
McNair explained that there are a number of ways to qualify for a scholarship.
“The criteria that we use isn’t just grades but how well-rounded the student is,” he said. “Community events, social events, how well they get along with their peers, how well they get along with their teachers — we’re just looking for more of a well-rounded student. Not just academically inclined students.”
The organization is requesting the city provide a $5,000 sponsorship fee.
“All proceeds will be going toward our children,” McNair said.
The gala will be held at the New College Institute. It will feature a keynote speech from the Rev. Gwendolyn Boyd, who served as the president of Alabama State University and was the first woman of color to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Yale, according to McNair. She is also a founder of Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority of 300,000 members.
