HIV-AIDS Symposium
A symposium and workshop on HIV-AIDS and health disparities for women, minorities and lower income communities will address effective strategies to better healthcare through a step-by-step approach to health advocacy for participants. A video, produced by Pfizer Incorporated, entitled, "Women Like You," will be shown followed by a panel discussion. The video addresses the alarmingly high and growing number of cases of minority women contracting and living with HIV-AIDS, and prevention tips.
NAACP Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics
The 27th annual NAACP Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) national competition, dedicated this year to ACT-SO founder, civil rights activist and well-known journalist, Vernon Jarrett will feature nearly 1,000 youth contestants vying for a first, second or third win in 25 different categories. Jarrett, who passed last month, helped to launch ACT-SO in late 1977. After two days of competition, this year’s winners will receive top cash prizes of $2,500, desktop computers, college scholarships, internships and a chance to be named a presidential scholar. The event’s theme, "Today’s Youth-Tomorrow’s Legend," originated last year, hopes to accentuate the participant’s brightest and best efforts.
2004 Spingarn Honoree
Senior U.S. District Judge Robert L. Carter is this year’s Spingarn honoree. He will be awarded the NAACP’s highest award during this year’s Freedom Fund Dinner on the convention’s last evening. A presentation for this year’s Thalheimer Award winner will also be presented. The award is presented annually to NAACP branches, state conferences and publications that have contributed most to the Association's mission during the preceding year.
Entertainment
Entertainment performances by author and comedian, Bill Cosby, recording artists Yolanda Adams, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, and Ruben Studdard will be featured at the convention’s adult and youth Freedom Fund Dinners, Gospel Extravaganza and Comedy Night. These are ticketed events. For the first time, the NAACP Voices of Freedom Choir will perform followed by guest speaker, Dr. Benjamin Hooks, NAACP Executive Director Emeritus, during this year’s first installment of the convention’s Late Night Worship Service.
Women in the NAACP
Women in the NAACP (WIN) will hold its annual fashion show and brunch as well as a symposium, "Voice of Women: From Dialogue to Action". This year’s fashion show features special guest and celebrity model "Omarosa" Manigalt-Stallworth from the television reality show, "The Apprentice". The WIN symposium includes panelists from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, National Institutes of Health and the Embassy of Benin.
Other Events
The convention will also include the NAACP Religious Leaders luncheon, and four days of exhibits and presentations of the Commerce & Industry and the Retail Expo Show.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are frontline advocates for civil rights, social justice and equal opportunity under law.