U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters addresses the Henry County (Georgia) Branch of the NAACP after receiving the Mary Church Terrell Award. Terrell was a founding member of the NAACP and a pioneering civil rights leader who fought for racial and gender equality in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Courtesy photo
Wave Staff Report
McDONOUGH, GA. — U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, was honored last month by the Henry County Branch of the NAACP, receiving the Mary Church Terrell Award at the branch’s 25th annual Freedom Fund Gala.
The award honors advocates whose lifelong commitment to justice and equity reflects the legacy of Terrell, a founding member of the NAACP and a pioneering civil rights leader who fought for racial and gender equality.
“As a lifetime member of the NAACP, I would like to express my deep gratitude for being a part of such an incredible legacy”, Waters said in receiving the award. .”For 113 years, the NAACP has been on the front lines of every major fight for Black freedom and equality, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the fight for equity in education, housing, and the workplace.
“The Freedom Fund Dinner is a celebration of an institution that has given us 113 years of courage, sacrifice, and victory. The Mary Church Terrell Award belongs to the voiceless, many who came before us, and to all those who followed. Those who marched, protested, voted and sacrificed so that we could stand here free”.
The audience included former U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young amd Billye Aaron, the widow of Baseball Hall of Famer Henry Aaron.
“For more than 30 years, Congresswoman Maxine Waters has led with courage, compassion, and an unshakable love for our people,” said Candace Walker, Branch President of NAACP Henry County. “She has always taken care of her community, lifted others as she climbed, and stood boldly on the front lines of justice.
“She did exactly that at our Freedom Fund Gala by encouraging us to stand and fight for justice. I am deeply proud to call her my friend and ‘Auntie,’” Walker added.
During the event, McDonough Mayor Sandra Vincent presented Waters with the key to the city of McDonough.
“Presenting the key to the city to Congresswoman Maxine Waters is not only a celebration of her remarkable impact but a reminder of how far we have come as a people,” Vincent said. “As the first African American and first female mayor of McDonough, I am deeply moved to honor a woman whose bold leadership has inspired countless others, myself included, to rise, reclaim our time, and authentically speak truth to power as we build community.”
Waters, the ranking member of the House Committee on Financial Services, ended her remarks with this commitment.
“I promise you this: I will keep fighting with every ounce of strength I have to defend our people, protect our democracy, and secure a future worthy of our children,” she said.
