GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On an evening where the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP celebrated the civil rights efforts of many in its community, the ever-nearing presidential election shared the stage.
The 58th annual Greater Grand Rapids NAACP Freedom Fund Gala and Awards Dinner was held at the JW Marriott hotel in downtown Grand Rapids on Friday and featured speeches from special guests, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist (D-MI), and Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids). Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, also a democrat, delivered the event's keynote address.
"We’re in the home stretch now and Michigan is the center of the political universe," Buttigieg said to FOX 17.
A Michigan resident, Buttigieg believes the demographic represented at the Freedom Fund Dinner could prove "decisive" in the election.
"Confident doesn't mean complacent," Buttigeg said about Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, which has reportedly targeted black voters in recent weeks. "She is not taking a single vote for granted."
READ MORE: Kamala Harris speaks to supporters at Grand Rapids' Riverside Park
For Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Friday's Freedom Fund Dinner was an opportunity to continue a tradition that started "when [he] was short."
"I know so many people that have memorable experiences at this," Gilchrist told FOX 17. "I want to be part of helping create that kind of history."
During his childhood, Gilchrist's grandmother took him to Freedom Fund dinners in Detroit. Days after graduating college, the lieutenant governor met President Barack Obama at one of them. Now, he's one of the famous faces at the ceremony.
"Sometimes you got to sit back and celebrate," Gilchrist said. "It's important to me be part of that."
