The NAACP Memphis Branch will bring together its members and supporters, along with community leaders, on Saturday, Oct. 3, for its annual Freedom Fund Celebration luncheon to spotlight the advocacy group’s work locally while examining the city’s civil rights challenges within a broader national context.
This year’s luncheon, set at 11 a.m. at the Reign Event Center, 3243 Players Club Circle, will feature Kristen Clarke, national general counsel for the NAACP, as the keynote speaker.
Clarke, a longtime civil rights attorney and graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, is the visiting professor and endowed chair of the Civil Rights Clinic, which litigates social justice and civil rights cases for clients facing extreme poverty, at Howard University School of Law. She previously served as the 19th assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 2021 to 2025, under President Joe Biden’s administration, leading enforcement of federal civil rights laws.
For Kermit Moore Jr., president of the nonprofit’s local branch, Clarke’s appearance comes at a consequential moment for the city and Black communities across the country. Moore believes she will bring a relevant national perspective and help the NAACP highlight local issues related to voter access and civic participation ahead of the November election.
“I’m excited that attorney Clarke is coming to Memphis to share with our members and the community the legal work taking place at the national level that will have an effect on the Memphis community,” Moore said. “Our local branches work closely with the national organization and it is always a good opportunity to let the community know how closely we work together.”
Moore has been a member of the NAACP for two decades, serving on its executive committee since 2016 and leading the local branch as president for three years. His commitment to civil rights, he said, is rooted in family and the examples he witnessed growing up.
“I came from a line of freedom fighters,” Moore said.
His first cousin was one of the Memphis sanitation workers whose 1968 strike became a defining chapter in local history and the Civil Rights Movement.
In a recent interview, Moore said voting and civic engagement are among the Memphis Branch’s most pressing priorities today. He pointed to redistricting and gerrymandering as issues that make participation at the state and local levels especially important.
“The elections are a priority for the branch and for the national NAACP,” Moore said. “It comes down to the states and local branches. And this is the most important election of our lifetime!”
The annual luncheon is the local branch’s signature fundraiser, a tradition that has continued for more than 50 years. Proceeds support the organization’s operations, including its office, staff and community programs that extend beyond traditional advocacy. The branch hosts town halls, conducts community outreach and provides resources such as food and water for residents experiencing hardship.
One initiative, “My Baby Me,” focuses on young mothers and infants living in ZIP code 38126, which includes parts of South Memphis and neighborhoods south of Downtown, an area that has faced persistently high infant mortality rates. Launched about five years ago in partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the program connects young mothers with healthcare providers, wholesome food, diapers, car seats and employment opportunities.
“We teach them how to care for their children and make sure they have what they need,” said Moore.
While doing its work, the NAACP Memphis Branch also has become involved in environmental and economic development debates related to large-scale data centers, filing a federal lawsuit in April against xAI (now SpaceXAI) with community partners, including the Southern Environmental Law Center. Moore said the organization is concerned about data centers’ environmental impact, particularly water consumption and the use of gas turbines.
“We aren’t against data technology,” Moore said. “What we are against is dirty data. There are alternatives that would prevent them from making the most profit. We need to prioritize people over profit.”
The local branch’s concerns reflect a bigger question facing Memphis and other communities: How technological and economic development can proceed while protecting residents’ health and environmental resources.
Against that backdrop, Moore sees Clarke’s appearance as particularly timely.
“We couldn’t think of a better person to talk to us, energize and mobilize us,” Moore said.
Some 300 people are expected to attend the luncheon. Individual tickets are $130 and tables for eight are $1,000. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
For more information, visit www.naacpmemphis.org or call the branch office at 901-521-1343.
