DALLAS, TX (Nov. 4, 2019) - On October 19, 2019, the Tri-Cities NAACP Branch #6277 hosted its Inaugural Freedom Fund and Scholarship Banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn and Hotel in Duncanville, Texas. The award recipients who play vital roles in the betterment of the communities in which they serve were announced at the event. The banquet was hosted by Dr. Samone and mistress of Ceremony was Cheryl Smith, Publisher, and Editor of Texas Metro News.
Police Chief Reyes was presented the Tri-Cities President’s Award and the Honorable Candice Quarles was awarded the Distinguished Service Award. Ebony Smith received the Community Empowerment Award, and Dr. Candace Brown, DDS. received the Business Empowerment Award. Additional award recipients included Jamila Thomas who received the NAACP Unsung Hero/ Heroine Award along with Irma P. Hall who was honored with the Irma P. Hall Award for the Visual and Performing Arts.
The Tri-Cities NAACP serves Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and the surrounding communities. The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
“Any and every recognition allows us to talk about the need for nationwide Paid Family Leave,” says Quarles after winning an award for her work on Paid Family Leave. As of October 1, 2019, the city of DeSoto became the first city in North Texas to guarantee paid parental leave for city employees, an effort championed by Quarles.
