NAACP Washington Branch holds human rights award banquet
Peg Wilson’s list of contributions to the Washington County community is long.
Her acceptance speech Friday at the NAACP Washington branch’s 57th Annual Human Rights Award Banquet was not.
Wilson was presented with the Human Rights Award at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Meadowlands, for her lifelong commitment to community service and human rights.
“I have one passion in the world to tell you all. I’m very proud of the new food bank. It was really down to nothing and we’ve grown,” said Wilson, board president of Greater Washington County Food Bank.
Wilson invited the attendees to a fruit tree planting May 25 at the food bank’s new home on Route 40.
“I never ever thought I would receive this award and it’s a pleasure and an honor for me to accept it,” she said.
Wilson, who is retired from Washington County Courts where she worked in adult probation and domestic relations, has served several organizations, including Cerebral Palsy, Girl Scouts, Daughters of Union Veterans and Auxiliary of American Legion 175.
She has served on the Democratic Women’s Committee since 1973 and she also has served on the executive board of the Pennsylvania State committee.
Dr. Joan Duvall-Flynn, president of Pennsylvania State Conference of the NAACP branches, delivered the dinner’s keynote address.
Duvall-Flynn talked about the continued relevance of the NAACP.
“The NAACP exists to address race prejudice. Nationally, at the state conference level, at the local branch level, we continue to work to remove all the barriers of racial discrimination and we seek to do that through the democratic process that is so precious to us in this country,” she said. “In the history of the United States, the impact and relevancy of the work of the National Association goes undisputed. It’s an historic fact that this organization has had tremendous impact on the history of the United States, and yet today, pundits hold discussions and write blogs and articles about our present standing in the social justice community, and indeed, some people say, ‘Is the NAACP still relevant?'”
“We are old, and we do have to do more to bring in the next generation of social justice advocates under our umbrella,” Duvall-Flynn continued. “They are the youth that we marched for. They have received the education that we fought for and now we want them back because they bring the skills and talents and knowledge that it will take to fight for social justice in this present day.”
Duvall-Flynn told the audience she organized a “think tank” last year that included several civic and educational organizations that met from January to April of this year to determine problems the NAACP must focus on.
Among them, Duvall-Flynn said, was the need to establish a “language” to connect the needs of rural and urban Pennsylvanians and ethnic groups.
“We have common needs, and they are about color. Everybody gets sick. Everybody runs into financial trouble. Many Pennsylvanians have a low income and cannot afford to run into the doctor’s office with their child,” she said. “We have to work out a language to communicate. Our needs are not different. We are much more alike than we are different.”
She also said the organization believes gun violence is a public health crisis and established a resolution which was sent to the NAACP for ratification at the national convention.
“I just wanted to catch you up on what we’re doing and let you know the NAACP is at work,” said Duvall-Flynn. “We are working for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians and we will not stop. And we want you to join if you don’t already belong.”
Also during the ceremony, Danielle M. Drew, chairperson of the NAACP’s Health Committee, was awarded the Branch Service Award. She was presented the award by her mother, Phyllis Waller, president of the NAACP Washington branch.
Former Human Rights Award recipient Bracken Burns served as toastmaster.