NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — The NAACP Illinois State Conference announced Sunday that the 2023 NAACP Illinois State Convention will be held in Normal on Sept. 22-24 at the Holiday Inn, located at 8 Traders Circle.

The group said the highlighted event in the convention will be the Bloomington-Normal Branch’s Freedom Fund Banquet on Sat., Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.

The keynote speaker will be Attorney Ben Crump who is a civil rights lawyer and an advocate for social and racial justice. He has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Earl Moore, Jr.

Some of the workshops that will be held at the conference include presentations from veterans, criminal justice, life, health, economic development, education, labor, political action, environmental and climate justice, and energy efficient experts.

The NAACP Illinois State Conference said the convention is expected to bring in over $300,000 in lodging, restaurants, transportation, and entertainment to the Bloomington-Normal area.

The NAACP was founded in 1909 and remains the world’s largest civil rights organization in the world. The NAACP has over two million constituents worldwide.

To learn more about the NAACP or the convention, visit its website.