Please join us for our 2026 NAACP Lexington-Fayette County Branch Flora D. Mitchell Freedom Fund Banquet.
Our 2026 Freedom Fund Banquet is Friday, October 2, 2026, in Lexington, Kentucky.
Our Freedom Fund Banquet is our Branch's signature annual gathering, bringing together NAACP members, young people, community and faith leaders, elected officials, educators, business leaders, advocates, and organizational partners from throughout Lexington and Central Kentucky.
This year's theme is “We the People: Building a More Perfect Union for All.”
The theme calls our community back to one of America's foundational promises while challenging us to confront an enduring question:
Who is included when we say, “We the People”?
For generations, the NAACP has worked to expand the reality behind those words—fighting to ensure that citizenship, democracy, justice, opportunity, and equal protection belong fully and equally to all.
In 2026, that work continues.
Our 2026 Keynote Speaker is Mr. Tylik McMillan, NAACP National Director of Youth and College.
Tylik McMillan is a nationally recognized civil rights activist, strategist, and advocate for justice, equity, and youth power. He currently serves as the National Director of Youth and College of the NAACP.
A proud HBCU graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and son of the South, he has led movements from the streets to the halls of Congress, organizing for voting rights, climate justice, and public education. He has been recognized by former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden-Harris White House as a prominent young voice helping to lead our nation forward.
Tylik helped organize the 2020 Commitment March on Washington and the 2021 March On for Voting Rights, which drew hundreds of thousands to Washington, DC, calling for racial justice, police reform, voting rights protections, census participation, and more. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., serves on the Phi Beta Sigma Political Action Committee Board of Directors, and is a former Social Justice Ambassador of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) National Racial Equity Initiative for Social Justice (NREI) Task Force.
Tylik has been recognized as a United States Black Chambers, Inc. 50 Under 40 honoree, Bloomberg 50 One to Watch, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Top 10 Most Influential Alumni, Young, Gifted & Green 40 Under 40 honoree, and National Urban League Young Professionals National Trailblazer. He has been featured by Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, CNN, BET, BBC, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, among other global, national, and local outlets.
As a former National Director for the Democratic National Committee and National Action Network, he is a trusted advisor to faith, government, grassroots, and civil rights leaders. Tylik seeks to inspire other young people to get involved and make civic engagement the new norm — not the exception.
The 2026 Freedom Fund Banquet will be held at the Hilton Lexington/Downtown Hotel, 369 W Vine St., in Lexington, KY. Free parking is available for all Freedom Fund Dinner ticket purchasers and event sponsors. Please present your dinner ticket confirmation and parking ticket at the receiving table before the event begins.
The 2026 Freedom Fund Banquet will be held at the Hilton Lexington/Downtown Hotel, 369 W Vine St., in Lexington, KY. Free parking is available for all Freedom Fund Dinner ticket purchasers and event sponsors. Please present your dinner ticket confirmation and parking ticket at the receiving table before the event begins.
5:30-6:30 PM: Reception and Cash Bar
6:30 pm: The Event Begins
For Sponsorships: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-flora-d-mitchell-freedom-fund-banquet-sponsorships.
For Online Donations: https://www.lexnaacp.net/donate-1
For Check Donations: Lexington NAACP Branch, P.O. Box 13655, Lexington, KY 40508
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If you are unable to attend this special fundraising event, please consider making a generous donation directly to the Charity Hocker Scholarship Fund.
Thank you for supporting our mission. Your support is invaluable!
The NAACP is at the forefront of the movement to build political power and ensure the well-being of communities of color. Underscoring the advocacy of our 2,200 local units across the country, we empower our communities to make democracy work for them.
Your support of the NAACP helps further our mission to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons, and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
Donor support like yours helps support our work in the General Assembly and the community. As the oldest civil rights organization in the country, the NAACP is there working on mass incarceration, education, economic opportunities, fighting voter suppression, and protecting the environment.
Your generosity and participation allow us to continue to support scholarships, NAACP social justice work, community advocacy, and advocacy training initiatives and programming.
We Thank You for Your Commitment and Support!
**If you are interested in a corporate donation or sponsorship, please complete the CONTACT us form.