The important leadership that women provide in the families, the churches, the community, and the general political life of the country was a repeated theme at the Bethlehem NAACP’s 74th annual Freedom Fund Banquet Feb. 17. A second theme emphasized the need for greater racial parity in public service jobs and leadership positions.

The emphasis on leadership of women was on full display as the President of the Bethlehem Chapter of the NAACP, Esther Lee presented awards to two leaders in the community recognizing their “commitment and service in the Lehigh Valley.” Mary Etta Ray Smith and Judith Alexander both received plaques recognizing their service.

Northampton County District Attorney Nuria DiLuzio addressed the burgeoning issue of bail reform in the Lehigh Valley. “I have been on the cutting edge of bail reform for a long time,” said DiLuzio. She said excessive bail forces people to plead guilty of crimes just to get out of prison.

She said more people are coming out of Northampton County Prison than are going into the prison.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure also hit on the issue of racial parity in his remarks; “It was remarkable to me when I became county executive how profoundly white our workforce is. Why shouldn’t we have more variety in our county workforce?”

McClure said one of the measures he directed was to “get rid of the box” – the box on employment applications that asks about prior convictions. “If an applicant checked yes in that box, the application went straight into the trash can.”

“The county has good jobs with pensions and healthcare. If you know kids that [might qualify] send them on down.”

Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy highlighted the high percentage of non-white students in his school district and the importance the public schools are one of the few places where people of different backgrounds routinely get together.

“The majority of students in our public schools are people of color,” said Roy.

Roy commended the principal of Freedom HS for visiting the home of every incoming freshman. He said it is important that the new students feel welcome to high school.

He also commended Liberty HS Special Education Teacher Robin Alozie for her work with potential “first generation college” girls.

Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DeLuzio recounted the progress of the Bethlehem Police Department in hiring ethnically diverse officers.

He said a former Tuskegee Airman, Elliot Blue, was the first black officer in Bethlehem. DeLuzio recalled the service of other black officers, for example, Donald Johnson who served in the 1960s. He remembered U. S. Army veteran Alfred Hughes who was a police officer that patrolled the city’s parks. He mentioned Officer Vivian Butts the Police Department’s first woman (also the first black woman) officer.

He said the current makeup of the Bethlehem Police Department includes four black officers, seven female officers, nine Hispanic officers and one Middle Eastern officer.

Esther Lee urged blacks to seek more leadership responsibility. “We need to step up to the plate.” She also urged mothers to “stay home and raise your children.”

On leadership, she said, “When something turns up, I do too.”

Pa. Representative Steve Samuelson introduced the key-note speaker, but took the occasion to say, “We are living in historic times.” He was referring to the five women who have announced that they are running for U.S. president.

PA 191st Legislative District Representative Joanna E. McClinton was the keynote speaker at the event at the Meadows in Hellertown. McClinton is the first African-American to chair the House Democratic Caucus. She was also the youngest woman ever elected to the Pennsylvania legislature.

McClinton soon had the audience in high gear; they cheered her on throughout her speech.

“Women have been making a difference down the line of time! Women aren’t finished making a difference! Are you done!?”

“No!” shouted the audience.