NAACP Memphis Branch announces Benjamin L. Crump as Featured Speaker at The 2016 Freedom Fund Luncheon

Benjamin L. Crump, the Florida civil rights attorney who has represented high-profile pro-bono cases such as the family of Trayvon Martin and the family of Michael Brown, both young men killed in racially charged cases, will be the featured speaker at the 2016 40th Anniversary Freedom Fund Luncheon hosted by the NAACP Memphis Branch. “Mr. Crump has taken a personal interest in protecting the downtrodden people of this country and using the law as it is supposed to work for everyone,” said Madeleine C. Taylor, executive director Memphis Branch NAACP. “His consistent and relentless work continues to shine spotlights on legal injustices, and we are thrilled to have him sharing his knowledge, experience, and insight at this event.” The work Crump has done while fighting to preserve justice has earned him recognition as one of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, Ebony Magazine’s 100 Most influential African Americans, and the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award. In addition to his legal work, Crump sits on the Board of the Innocence Project and the Equal Justice institute. He has served as General Counsel to the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and is a Life Member of the NAACP and Urban League. Crump’s article, “The Police Don’t Shoot a White Man in the Back; Representing Minorities in Police Brutality Cases,” brought attention and critical acclaim. His work and writings have also been featured in documentaries such as BET’s “I am Trayvon Martin: A family’s fight for Justice,” and NPR’s “How a Lawyer Got America Talking About Trayvon Martin.” “Issues of police brutality, justice, and the oppression of minorities are finally getting deserved attention,” Taylor said. “And Mr. Crump is at the forefront of these issues. We can’t wait to hear what he has to say.” About the Memphis Branch of the NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest civil rights organization. The mission of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights for all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. The Memphis Branch is the largest branch in the organization.