The Virginia NAACP announced that Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, will be the keynote speaker for the Freedom Fund Gala at its 89th Annual Convention in Williamsburg.

“Ms. Campbell is recognized as one of the hardest-working servant leaders in today’s civil rights, women’s rights and social justice movements,” said Virginia NAACP President Cozy Bailey. “Her dedication to empowering the Black community and cultivating the next generation of civic leaders makes her an ideal keynote speaker.”

The convention, scheduled for Oct. 11 through 13, will bring together leaders from NAACP branches, youth councils, and college chapters across Virginia. Attendees will participate in workshops and town halls designed to strengthen local advocacy efforts.

Gregory Neal Jackson Jr., deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, will be a special guest at the Youth Leadership Luncheon. The Rev. Carlon Lassiter, pastor of Saint John Baptist Church, will speak at the Unity Worship Service.

The convention will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Williamsburg. For more information, visit naacpva.org.