Comedian and human rights activist Dick Gregory will be the featured speaker at this year’s Freedom Fund Celebration.

The 30th Annual State Freedom Fund Celebration will be held Friday, June 27, at the Carolina Coliseum in Columbia.

“We are elated to have Mr. Gregory as the featured speaker at the Freedom Fund Celebration this year because of his admirable record on human rights in the U.S. and around the world,” said Lonnie Randolph, president of the South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP. “Dick Gregory has done more than speak against injustice, he has invested himself and his career in championing the causes of the poor, the needy and the disregarded.”

The State Freedom Fund Celebration recognizes a turning point in South Carolina’s own segregationist history brought about by Briggs vs. Elliott, the Clarendon County case that challenged the lawfulness of “separate but equal” statutes. The Briggs case went on to become a leading component of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan. A salute to the plaintiffs and the lawyers involved in Briggs vs. Elliot remains a highlight of the annual celebration.

The Freedom Fund Celebration bears the theme “Power Beyond Measure.” Special musical performances and the coronation of the NAACP Woman of the Year add to the elegance of the event. The evening begins with a 5:15 p.m. dinner reception followed by the program at 7 p.m.

The Freedom Fund Celebration is a benefit to support the ongoing civil rights work of the South Carolina NAACP.

Tickets are only available in advance. They can be purchased online at www.scnaacp.org and in Orangeburg at South Carolina Community Bank, 1475 Amelia Street, and Jamison Pharmacy, 1225 Goff Ave.

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