Dr. Charles Ogletree to keynote at annual Fight for Freedom Dinner

DETROIT (Tell Us Det) - Executive board members gathered at the Detroit branch of the NAACP to unveil the name of the keynote speaker for the 2014 annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner at a news conference Thursday at the headquarters in the city's New Center District.

Branch president Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony announced that Professor and Doctor Charles J. Ogletree of Harvard University will keynote at this year's dinner. Dr. Ogletree is a recipient of countless awards, and has often been named by Ebony Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential Black Americans".

In addition, Dr. Ogletree is a well-known lawyer, civil rights leader, educator, author, constitutional expert, teacher, professor, and people-motivator. He is the Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, and is the founding and Executive Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice.

"For such a time as this, understanding "one man's commitment. .. one nation's promise", Dr. Ogletree is the right person for this challenge," Rev. Anthony said.

Past keynote speakers have been U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., and former President Bill Clinton.

The upcoming Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner will also honor Congressman John Dingell, Senator Carl Levin, and Rev. Dr. William Barber from North Carolina.

Other weekend activity will include 'The Business of Entertainment Hollywood Comes to the Neighborhood: Be a star in front of, and behind the camera' (Youth & Young Adult Symposium), Educational Panel and Luncheon: A Look at the Urban Educational System: Failures and Successes and Urban Mayor's Panel: A National Perspective: Decay of Urban America.

The Detroit Branch NAACP's 59th Annual Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2014 at 5:00 P.M. at Cobo Conference Center in Detroit. The theme for this year's Dinner is: 1964-2014 . 50 Years Later - One Man's Commitment . One Nation's Promise