The Nansemond-Suffolk Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will hold its 50th annual Freedom Fund Celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 100 E. Constance Road.

The guest speaker will be Hilary O. Shelton, the Washington Bureau director and senior vice president for advocacy for the NAACP.

In his position, Shelton is responsible for advocating the federal public policy issue agenda of the NAACP to the U.S. government. His work includes crucial issues such as affirmative action, equal employment, access to quality education, stopping gun violence, ending racial profiling, abolition of the death penalty, access to comprehensive health care, voting rights protection, federal sentencing reform and a host of other issues.

Prior to his current position, Shelton was federal liaison/assistant director to the Government Affairs Department of The College Fund/UNCF, also known as the United Negro College Fund. He worked with the White House, members of Congress, federal agencies and departments, college and university presidents and faculty members to secure the survival, growth and excellence of the 40 private historically black colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Shelton also served as the federal policy program director to the United Methodist Churches’ social just advocacy agency, the General Board of Church & Society.

Shelton also serves on a number of national boards of directors, including The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, The Center for Democratic Renewal, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute.

Shelton holds degrees in political science, communications, and legal studies from Howard University, the University of Missouri and Northeastern University, respectively.

He has received numerous awards and been instrumental in ushering passage of federal legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Civil Rights Restoration Act, the Violence Against Women Act and more.

Also at the Freedom Fund banquet, the Ingramettes, of Richmond, will be the featured entertainment.

Tickets are $50 per person or $375 for a table of eight. Contact Rosalind Lacy at 944-8962 or Anita Lewis at 802-0555.