Cape Girardeau NAACP to host first banquet of the decade

The Cape Girardeau NAACP branch will host its annual Freedom Fund banquet Saturday, Nov. 4 — the first time it's been held since 2019.

The coronavirus pandemic prevented the last three banquets from taking place, but this year's event is on schedule for 6 p.m. at the Shawnee Park Center at 835 S. West End Blvd. in Cape Girardeau.

Patricia McBride, president of the Cape Girardeau NAACP, said the banquet serves as a fundraiser primarily to raise scholarship money. She said they're looking to raise the last $3,000 needed of a $10,000 endowment to fund scholarships for incoming or undergraduate Southeast Missouri State University students.

The branch also donates money to the Salvation Army.

Aside from scholarships and donations, the NAACP's work involves managing civil rights complaints through legal redress, as well as helping people learn how to vote.

"I have learned that there are so many people in the community who are registered to vote but do not vote," McBride said. "... We canvass the community, talk about voter registration. That's about the most important thing we can do."

Around 200 people attended the 2019 banquet, which was held at Drury Plaza Hotel Conference Center.

Loretta Prater, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at SEMO from 2002-2011, will be this year's featured speaker.

This will be Prater's first time speaking at the banquet. Previous speakers include education specialist and Cape Girardeau native Gretchen Woods; Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Bishop Ron Webb; and SEMO president Carlos Vargas.

Prater is an author and was a teacher before transitioning to work in higher education. She has attended various NAACP events in the past across several states.

"I've done, over the years, a lot of speeches, but this one at this particular time in my life and this particular time in America's life, I had to really pray about this a lot," Prater said of the banquet. "My feeling is we're not free yet, and so the whole premise of my speech is going to be 'chasing freedom.' I'll give some highlights of some things that have been done over the years that I consider that were chasing freedom."

She said she wants to inspire people during her speech, but also aims to use it as a teaching moment for how people can contribute to make their conditions better.

"If we're going to have freedom, then it takes all of us. It doesn't take just Black people, it takes Black and white and brown and yellow and red. It's a diversity of people coming together with a common cause, because I think we all want to be free," Prater added.

In addition to Prater's speech, the organization will also hand out several awards and host a silent auction. Tickets are $50 per person or $300 per table.

For more information about the event, the Cape Girardeau NAACP may be contacted at cape girardeaunaacp@gmail.com.