Kat Stafford

Detroit Free Press

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton will be the keynote speaker at the Detroit Chapter of the NAACP's annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner next month.

NAACP's Detroit branch made the announcement Monday morning, according to spokeswoman LaToya Henry.

The 61st annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner will be held at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, at Cobo Center in Detroit. The theme for this year's dinner is "Let America Be America Again."

According to the NAACP, this will be Clinton’s second time as the event's keynote speaker. She also spoke while serving as a United States Senator in 2004. In recent months, Clinton's held meetings, toured businesses and held several rallies across Michigan. Both her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and daughter Chelsea Clinton have campaigned in the state.

“The Detroit Branch NAACP is pleased to announce this lineup for the 61st Annual Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner,” said Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the organization's Detroit branch. “Our theme, ‘Let America be America Again,’ will be well represented by our keynote speaker and awardees, who come from different backgrounds and industries, but showcase what is good about having a diverse America.”

Vice President Joe Biden delivered the keynote speech at last year's event, which often focuses on current events that affect the lives of blacks in the United States.

The dinner is the largest fund-raiser for the Detroit branch of the NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights organization and usually draws 10,000 people each year, according to the branch.

Past speakers have included U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and former President Bill Clinton.

Several awards will also be given out at the dinner including the 2016 Ida B. Wells Freedom and Justice award, which will be given to Ivy Bailey, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers; the 2016 Mary Church Terrell Freedom and Justice, which will be awarded to Goeff Hansen, Michigan State Senator of the 34th District; and the 2016 Great Expectations Award will be given to Shaka Senghor, author of Writing My Wrongs and Detroit City Council member Mary Sheffield.

For more information call 313-871-2087 or visit detroitnaacp.org.

Contact Katrease Stafford: kstafford@freepress.com or 313-223-4759.