Daily Pioneer News

Left to right: Michael Anderson, Dick Gregory and Troy Cobb at the 56th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner given by the Racine NAACP.

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Education recently supported the Racine National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) through the purchase of a table and ad for its 56th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner. The theme of the dinner was "Voting our Values, Valuing Our Votes."

Racine NAACP president and UWP Master of Adult Education graduate, Beverly D. Hicks, said, "While we are and always have been studiously non-partisan, we are working hard to ensure that every eligible voter is registered and every registered voter casts his or her vote on election day."

Representatives of the UWP School of Education participating in this event included Michael Anderson, director of the School of Education; Sue Alborn-Yilek, coordinator for the Education Office of Special Programs; Pat Bromley, coordinator of the Master of Science in Adult Education program; Troy Cobb, site coordinator for the Master of Science in Adult Education program in Racine and Milwaukee; Carlos Aranda, MSE recruitment and retention specialist; and Richard and Carol Rogers, adult education instructors.

Comedian Dick Gregory served as the keynote speaker of the evening. He has been a leader in the Civil Rights Movement since the 1960s. Currently, according to his website (www.dickgregory.com), "he continues to be a 'drum major for justice and equality'."

According to Bromley, the Master of Adult Education program is the most diverse program at UW-Platteville. Students in the program may attend courses in five locations: Janesville, Milwaukee, Madison, Racine and Platteville. The program aims to provide ways for students employed full time to achieve an advanced degree.

"We are happy to support the Racine NAACP. The local support for this organization is impressive, and the local elected officials and businesspeople backing it are highly regarded," said Bromley.

"Carol and I thought it was a great event and were very pleased to have the opportunity to attend. We met many of our present and former students, made new friends and had the opportunity to hear Dick Gregory do an outstanding job in his presentation," said Rogers.

UW-Platteville holds a Silver Life Membership with the NAACP and is a member in good standing of the Racine NAACP.

Contact: Patricia Bromley, graduate studies, (608) 732-1251, bromleyp@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: April M. Schmidt, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,schmidap@uwplatt.edu