"Achieving a Golden Future" will be the task taken on by Penn State's chapter of the NAACP Sunday night, an effort to encourage students to enact change in their communities.
The Fifth Annual Freedom Fund Dinner will be held in the Paul Robeson Cultural Center's Heritage Hall, free to all Penn State students.
Krystal Sojourner, press and publicity chairwoman for the Penn State chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said she wants to encourage all students to attend the organization's celebration of its tradition in what she believes will be "a really good experience."
Kourtney Pulliam, Penn State's NAACP president, said the event is an effort to inspire students -- especially minorities -- to mobilize and push for change where it is needed in their communities at Penn State and back home.
"We're trying to change the world and make it better one person at a time," Pulliam (senior-political science and sociology) said.
A catered dinner will be served and entertainment will be provided, said NAACP Happy Valley Communications Account Associate Jackie Loftus.
"They're trying to promote their chapter at Penn State -- you don't hear a lot from them now," Loftus (junior-public relations) said. "They're trying to get as many people as they can to come out."
Pulliam said poet and Penn State student Nathan James will open the evening, followed by New York's R&B group Gotham Citi. The event will also host keynote speaker Basheer Jones, a youth activist and radio talk show host.
"I think it's important to have other people speak to our students," Pulliam said. "We want to actually give something that will encourage them."
The University Park Undergraduate Association is co-sponsoring the event. Student Life and Diversity Chairman Christian Ragland said he is excited to have his organization be seen as a resource committed to other student groups on campus.
Ragland (junior-political science) said he is scheduled to close out the event and will talk about the importance of students supporting each other on campus through their organizations.
