Speaker: Liberty requires commitment

PATTERSON — Lafayette attorney Lloyd Dangerfield pointed to recent statistics from USA Today about the treatment of black students in schools, especially southern schools:
Black girls accounted for 74.1 percent of suspensions and 77.8 percent of expulsions among girls in 2011-12. More than 63 percent of the male students suspended were black, and 69 percent those expelled were black.
During the 2011-12 school year, 41,689 students were suspended from school, he said.
“The realization is liberty is not handed to us on a silver platter nor etched in stone like the Ten Commandments with assurance that it is permitting guarantee,” Dangerfield said Saturday at the annual St. Mary NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet at the Patterson Area Civic Center.
“Often, we have to be the cosigners willing to make good on the promise to make sure liberty is available to all people, not just our family and friends and not just a concept but a reality.”
The Freedom Fund banquet is an annual event to pay homage to citizens of St. Mary Parish who dedicate their time and energy in education, government, business, community service and more to the ideals, vision and mission of the NAACP. It is also the organization’s fundraiser for scholarships.
“I think it was a great turnout,” said Alfreida Edwards, co-chairperson of the Freedom Fund Banquet. “It was one of the biggest turnouts we’ve had over the past couple of years.”
About 250 people attended.
Gale Thomas also co-chaired the event.
Dangerfield opened his speech with, “My purpose is to encourage, enlighten, edify and challenge you and me because I think every opportunity isn’t only about the audience but the speaker as well.”
He challenged the audience by posing the question, “Is liberty worth pursuing?
“The pursuit of liberty is not simply just a walk in the park nor laying on a bed of roses,” Dangerfield said. “To pursue liberty and try to grab hold of it, you may have to change some things or leave some things behind.
“You may have to change your attitude, your actions and your prejudices. You may have to leave behind friends who are satisfied with the status quo and don’t see the need to change.”
Award recipients were nominated and voted on by St. Mary Branch NAACP members. The award recipients recognized Saturday evening were:
—Dr. Keidra Welch-Spencer – Edward Jacquet Sr. Medical and Health Award.
—Almetra Franklin – Marion Perry Education Award.
—Albert Foulard – William Bradford Sr. Politics and Government Award.
—Gail McDaniel – NAACP Law Enforcement Award.
—The Rev. Allen Randle – DeForest Brown Religious Service Award.
—Edward Campbell – Hebert Joseph Business/Entrepreneur Award.
—Joshua Singleton and Diane Wiltz – Hillard Buckner Media and Journalism.
—Larry Guilbeau – Roberta Brown Community Service Award.
NAACP’s mission is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic quality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
“What is historically accurate is when we fail to act or challenge discrimination history tends to repeat itself,” Dangerfield said. “It becomes cyclical.”

This story was written by Shea Drake of The Daily Review staff. Reach her at sdrake@daily-review.com.