“The Fierce Urgency of Now” Echoes at the 64th Annual NAACP Freedom Banquet in Front Royal

Under the banner of “The Fierce Urgency of Now,” the Warren-Page County NAACP welcomed community leaders, educators, faith figures, and residents to its 64th Annual Freedom Banquet, an evening rich with inspiration, remembrance, and forward-looking dialogue.

The event, held at the North Warren Fire Hall in Front Royal, carried a spirit of unity and urgency, echoing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic call to action. From the opening invocation to the rousing keynote, the banquet did not shy away from hard truths; instead, it challenged attendees to confront injustice with heart, intellect, and collective will.

A Celebration of Leadership and Legacy

Michael Fletcher, Vice President of the Warren-Page NAACP, opened the event with a warm welcome and brief introductions. Alongside President Gene Kilby, Secretary Janet Timbers, and Financial Officer Connie Cermak, Fletcher recognized the dedicated officers who keep the local chapter moving forward.

Pastor Rev. Harold L. Brown of Mount Vernon Baptist Church offered a powerful invocation, setting a spiritual tone for the evening. “We are not here just to eat and meet,” he said, “but to remember, reflect, and renew.”

Meisha Herron, a Chicago-raised musician now living in Warren County, performs at the 64th Annual NAACP Freedom Banquet. With over 30 years of experience, Herron’s soulful music added depth and spirit to the evening’s celebration.

The evening’s tone was further elevated by the soulful musical stylings of Meisha Herron, a seasoned performer who brought both heart and history to the stage.

Raised in Chicago, Herron has been playing blues, soul, and gospel music for over 30 years. Now a resident of Warren County, she continues to perform throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, sharing her powerful voice and rich musical heritage with diverse audiences. Her live performances during the banquet added depth and emotion to the evening, offering moments of reflection, celebration, and community connection.

Poet Gina Salmon, a longtime Front Royal resident and artist, brought the audience to silence and then thunderous applause with her reading of “The Nottoway,” a poem about the burning of Louisiana’s largest antebellum plantation. “It was a horror for us, a place of total disgrace,” she read. “As flames shot up to the sky… this was time for celebration.”

Poet Gina Salmon shares her powerful piece “The Nottoway” at the 64th Annual Freedom Banquet, blending history, faith, and poetry to honor the voices of the past.

Salmon’s work, a mix of raw truth and spiritual reverence, reminded listeners of the painful legacy of slavery—and the endurance of those who survived it. “Writing poetry,” she shared, “is a vessel from God.”

A Keynote That Turned the Room into a Learning Lab

The keynote address came not from behind a podium, but from within the crowd—literally and figuratively. Dr. Ulysses Lovett Gilbert II, known affectionately as “Dr. G,” transformed the banquet into what he called a “learning lab.” With an energetic and engaging style, Dr. G transformed every table into a classroom, every guest into a student.

Dr. Ulysses Lovett Gilbert II, affectionately known as “Dr. G,” transforms the audience into a “learning lab” during his dynamic keynote at the 64th Annual Freedom Banquet in Front Royal.

“Who are you? How do you identify?” he asked early on. The question, which could have been rhetorical, launched a live, room-wide exercise where attendees were asked to define key values: compassion, fairness, integrity, respect, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Tables were split into communities and challenged to define these concepts through the lens of disaster recovery—an intentional metaphor, as Dr. G would reveal.

“This is what FEMA faces after a flood or hurricane,” Dr. G explained. “Some people get help first. Others get left out. What happens then? Identity becomes politicized. Feelings of worth get questioned. And community breaks down.”

The session was a blend of psychology, ethics, sociology, and group dynamics—delivered with humor and passion. Dr. G also drew on generational perspectives, comparing an 84-year-old scientist’s method of testing river water by hand with a young scientist’s modern digital approach. “We have to consider everybody in the room,” he said. “We have to consider everybody in the community.”

In a particularly poignant moment, participants were asked to eliminate one community value due to a lack of funding. Most refused. Some debated removing fairness, arguing that compassion and integrity would naturally guide equitable decision-making. Others refused to choose at all. “That’s the point,” Dr. G concluded. “It’s not easy. And it shouldn’t be.”

Honoring a Local Legend

A standing ovation followed the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Mrs. Pearl Jordan, a revered figure in the Warren-Page community. Presented by Yolonda Baltimore, the award recognized Jordan’s decades-long commitment to civil rights, education, and local advocacy.

Mrs. Pearl Jordan, 102, receives the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 64th Annual Freedom Banquet, honored for a lifetime of service, strength, and unshakable dedication to justice.

“Mrs. Jordan has been the quiet strength behind so many of our victories,” Baltimore said. “She has lived the movement. She is the movement.”

Jordan, at 102 years, accepted the honor with grace and humility. “I’ve never done it for recognition,” she said softly. “I did it because I believed in the better days to come.”

A Closing Charge

Gene Kilby, President of the Warren-Page NAACP, closed the event with a heartfelt reminder that the work is far from over. “We’ve heard the words. We’ve seen the examples. Now it’s up to us to move with the fierce urgency of now,” he said. “Not tomorrow. Not next election. Now.”

Gene Kilby, President of the Warren-Page NAACP, delivers closing remarks at the 64th Annual Freedom Banquet, urging attendees to act with “the fierce urgency of now.”

Throughout the evening, guests were invited to bid in a silent auction featuring donated art and items from local businesses and creators. All proceeds benefit the local NAACP chapter’s scholarships and community programs.

As the banquet concluded, attendees left not only with full plates, but full minds—and perhaps most importantly, a renewed sense of purpose.

“The urgency,” said one guest leaving the hall, “is not just fierce. It’s necessary.”

Watch the event on this exclusive Royal Examiner video.