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MADISON —The Ida B Wells Freedom Fund Banquet, which will be held at the Marriott Hotel West on Oct. 5, will feature the honorary keynote speaker Ed Gordon, who is the former host of BET Tonight and an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster.
The Madison Branch of the NAACP always has superb guest keynote speakers for their annual Ida B. Wells Freedom Fund Banquets, and this year is no different. Gordon is also a nationally syndicated radio host and a contributor for the NBC’s Today Show.
Ed Gordon emerged in the late 1990s as one of the hottest news personalities in the highly competitive business. For many years, Gordon was a leading news anchor for the Black Entertainment Television (BET) network. During his early years with BET, Gordon made his name as a jack-of-all-trades: he could be seen reporting the news, undertaking investigative pieces, and conducting interviews with important black Americans. His network's small budget and staff notwithstanding, Gordon became a significant force in television news reporting after joining BET in 1988. He interviewed presidents and presidential candidates, important world figures such as South African leaders Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, and figures as diverse as Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan and singer Whitney Houston.
The NAACP annual banquet will also feature talks by a host of local politicians and community leaders.  The Harry and Velma Hamilton Community Service Award, The W.E.B. DuBois Award, and the Unsung Hero Award will be presented to area citizens who have made outstanding contributions to the community.  The theme for this year’s banquet is “Your Power, Your Decision – Vote.”
The Freedom Fund Dinner is NAACP-Madison Branch's major fundraiser of the year. The community's support of this event is critical in assisting the local branch as they provide services to the poor, underserved, and underprivileged as they fight for equal opportunity.  

   The 2012 annual Ida B. Wells Freedom Fund Banquet Friday, Oct. 5, at the Marriott Madison West, 1313 John Q. Hammond Drive in Middleton.
 Tickets are $90 and includes the $30 annual membership fee. For tickets or more information, Call the NAACP Madison Branch at 608-256-1942.