For members of the Beaufort County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored people, the cause of justice is one worth fighting for.

Be it for the suppressed voter, the wrongfully-convicted prisoner or the person discriminated against for the color of their skin, the NAACP seeks to, “ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and discrimination.”

On Friday, more than 200 people from the local community came together at The Temple of Jesus Christ’s Family Life Center to support that purpose as the Beaufort County Branch of the NAACP hosted its 37th annual Freedom Fund Banquet.

An evening of fundraising, fellowship and solidarity, the banquet consisted of singers, dancers and speakers, each of whom shared expressions of the organization’s goals.

“It’s about social justice; righting some of the wrongs,” Beaufort County NAACP President Bill Booth said. “It’s about people taking more of an interest in their community and how it’s ran.”

In the past, the Beaufort County NAACP has encouraged voter registration, provided legal assistance for those who found facing unjust charges and worked with young people to present positive opportunities. The organization was also at the forefront of the effort to keep the hospital open in Belhaven.

“We encourage people to take an active part in the community and take an active part in helping others,” Booth said. “We can do more together than divided. It isn’t about Republicans or Democrats, black or white; it’s about doing the right thing. We’re more alike than we are different. When there is injustice for one, we all suffer.”

Reverend Jacob W. Kines Jr., senior minister at First Christian Church Washington, served as the evening’s keynote speaker, delivering a message of love for all people, regardless of race, color or creed. From touching on the inspired nature of America’s foundational documents to sharing thoughts on the ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King, Kines shared a vision of unity for the future.

“We were created for justice, equality and for freedom,” Kines told those assembled. “If we are to actualize the Eternal Kingdom of God in history; we have to see one another as truly equal. We are all created in God’s image; white, black, yellow and brown. We all have infinite worth. To say that we are equal is not to bring anyone down. It is to lift us all up to our proper status.”

For more information on the NAACP, click to www.naacp.org