INKSTER, Mich. About 400 people filled the room for the NAACP Western Wayne County Branch's annual Freedom Fund Dinner this month, a turnout the branch called "400 reasons to keep moving forward together."

The branch announced the event as its 29th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner, set for Sunday, Oct. 18, at The Lincoln Manor in Lincoln Park. In a thank-you message posted Oct. 23, the branch called it "a spectacular evening." It credited its Freedom Fund Committee for bringing the dinner to life and congratulated this year's awardees for their leadership and service.

For a branch with deep roots here, the crowd was a statement. The NAACP Western Wayne County Branch was chartered as the Inkster Branch in 1947, according to the branch.

A night of recognition

Ahead of the dinner, the branch said awards would go to community leaders in Public Safety, Clergy Leadership, Volunteer Service, Rising Star, Freedom and Justice, Small Business Impact and Educator Excellence. Tech innovator Kevin Tolbert was announced as keynote speaker.

"This celebration is more than a dinner, it is a call to action," branch President Gina Wilson Steward said in the August announcement. "As we gather for our 29th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner, we recommit ourselves to the work of advancing justice, opening doors of opportunity for our young people, and ensuring every voice in our community is heard."

The branch calls the dinner its signature event, and youth tickets came with an NAACP membership, a sign of the branch's push to bring young people into the work.

Congratulations, Rev. Hearn

Among those amplifying the branch's thanks was Rev. John D. Hearn Jr., who shared the message on Oct. 24.

Rev. Hearn is no stranger to the Freedom Fund stage. At the 2024 dinner, the branch presented him with its Trailblazer Award, The Telegram reported, alongside honorees including state Sen. Stephanie Chang, Judge Lisa Martin and the Inkster Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Inkster Now! congratulates Rev. Hearn on his continued service, and the branch, its Freedom Fund Committee and this year's awardees on a full house. Four hundred people showing up on a Sunday evening for civil rights work says a lot about this community.

Get involved

The NAACP Western Wayne County Branch welcomes new members. Visit westernwaynecountynaacp.com to learn more.

Were you honored at this year's dinner, or do you have photos from the evening? Send them to us or email hello@inksternow.com.

Sources: NAACP Western Wayne County Branch (thank-you message, Oct. 23, 2026); The Telegram, Aug. 27, 2026; The Telegram, Oct. 24, 2024.