The Bethlehem NAACP held its 73rd annual Freedom Fund Banquet Feb. 18 at The Meadows in Hellertown. The banquet featured songs, speeches and awards celebrating the arts, all with the theme “Pursuing Liberty in the Face of Injustice” in mind.

In his welcome, Chief of Police Mark DiLuzio stressed the importance of communication in today’s society, a belief also fundamental to Mayor Bob Donchez, who could not be present at the banquet.

“We are able to discuss problems in a civilized way before they get out of control, as you see around the country. And a lot of those issues can be settled by open communication,” said DiLuzio of the City of Bethlehem’s working relationship with its NAACP chapter. “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live or what your economic status is, we’re all in this together.”

Keynote speaker M. Rayah Levy, who currently serves as Head of Adult Services at the Bethlehem Area Public Library, called upon the communal efforts mentioned in DiLuzio’s greetings to further shape society through a plea for educational system reform.

“How does one pursue liberty in the face of injustice? We need to improve the educational system for our children as if our lives depend on it,” Levy said. “All children should be given the tools to be their best.”

Through references to poems, books and reports, Levy compared the American educational system to that of Finland and other countries, and the plans that need to be made to better it to plays used in the recent Superbowl.

“So, let the games be played. Let the war be fought. And let’s save the next generation from the injustices that plague this country by giving our children the best education, and I will keep saying that it’s possible. To do so, we need to rethink, we need to create a game plan and we need to execute it by thinking outside the box and becoming radicals to achieve our goals. My soul has grown deep like the rivers, because our children are drowning and washing up at the shores of injustice,” she said. “The only way to pursue liberty in the face of injustice is through education.”

Near the conclusion of the banquet, awards were presented to four women for their involvement and success in the arts: Grace Adele Spruiell, instrumental and vocal music; Nah-tarsha Cherry, gospel vocal music; Deirdre Van Walters, poetry and theater; and Jessica L. Lee, artist and designer.

While transitioning into the presentation of the Celebrating the Arts Awards, Bethlehem NAACP President Esther Lee similarly spoke of the importance of joining together to promote change:

“Here in Bethlehem, we work at what we do. But there’s nothing perfect until all of us [are] working together,” she said. “We’re all working together because Bethlehem is a family.”