By Roland N. Patterson Jr.
In every generation, the struggle for justice turns on two questions: who we elevate in this moment, and how we prepare those who will lead in the next. That is why NAACP Baltimore County is pleased to announce Dayvon Love as master of ceremonies for our 2026 Freedom Fund Banquet. It is more than a program choice. It is a statement about our values, our vision, and our responsibility to the future.
Photo credit: K. Finch Photography
Our Freedom Fund Banquet, to be held on Feb. 28, is the branch’s signature annual convening. For decades, it has been a space where history is honored, leadership is recognized, and the unfinished work of freedom is renewed. This year’s theme, “The Fierce Urgency of Now,” is drawn from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring call to action, that the time for justice is not tomorrow, but today. It reminds us that delay is a form of denial and that moral courage must be matched with timely action.
We are honored that this year’s program will feature guest speaker, professor Darryl Green of Morgan State University, whose work on healing, accountability and justice echoes Dr. King’s call for “the fierce urgency of now,” grounding today’s activism in both moral reflection and practical action. His presence underscores that our pursuit of justice must include truth, repair and collective healing.
Equally significant is our selection of Dayvon Love as master of ceremonies.
Dayvon Love, a frequent contributor to the AFRO, is director of public policy for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS), a grassroots think tank that advances the public policy interests of Black people. LBS has also led legislative and advocacy efforts regarding criminal justice reform, liberatory approaches to youth development and reparations.
Beyond his scholarship, Dayvon’s lived experience matters. His path from Forest Park High School, where he discovered policy debate through the Baltimore Urban Debate League, to Towson University, where he made history as part of the first all-Black team to win the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) National Championship, reflects the power of Black intellectual excellence nurtured in our own community.
His leadership has also mattered in Baltimore County.
During last year’s redistricting process, Dayvon and Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle helped frame the new map for what it truly was: a matter of racial justice. Through an LBS Action Alert and his Sept. 13 letter to the editor in The Baltimore Banner, he amplified community concerns and helped galvanize public pressure. While the final map did not meet all that Fair Maps advocates sought, that sustained pressure compelled the County Council to modify its original proposal and add two majority-minority districts. That progress would not have been possible without principled, organized advocacy.
This is precisely the kind of leadership we want our young people to see.
Through our Next Generation Sponsor initiative, NAACP Baltimore County is intentionally bringing students and young people into the room at no cost to them or their families. They will hear from professor Green. They will watch Dayvon Love command the stage. They will witness what it looks like to speak with clarity, challenge power with evidence, and imagine a more just future.
Too often, young people are told to wait, to be patient, to “earn” their place in civic life. Dr. King’s words tell us otherwise. The fierce urgency of now requires their voices today.
For more than 50 years, NAACP Baltimore County has stood up for political, educational, social, and economic equity. Showcasing leaders like Dayvon Love and Professor Darryl Green, and investing in our young people, is how we carry that legacy forward. It is also a commitment to doing what must be done now to secure the future that our communities need and deserve.
General admission tickets, tables, and Next Generation sponsorships are still available at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/freedom-fund-awrads-banquet
For more than 50 years, NAACP Baltimore County has stood up for political, educational, social, and economic equity. Showcasing leaders like Dayvon Love and professor Darryl Green, and investing in our young people, is how we carry that legacy forward. It is also a commitment to doing what must be done now to secure the future that our communities need and deserve.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.