The 63^rd Annual Alabama NAACP State Convention was held Oct. 22-24, and Franklin County had representation – local Charles Dale emceed the convention.

Dale was the de facto speaker for last year’s convention when the scheduled speaker failed to arrive. This year’s emceeing duties included keeping the program on schedule, making comments and – one of his favorite parts – presenting recognition to the Alabama State Troopers for their part as escorts in America’s Journey for Justice, held this summer.

“In 1965 when we met the Alabama State Troopers at the (Edmund Pettus) bridge, they were in front of us with billy clubs, horses and dogs, trampling us … We thought we didn’t have a fighting chance,” Dale said. “To be able to hand an award to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency as a whole and thank them for their services was outstanding.”

The other highlight of the convention for Dale was a session on payday loans. He said information provided helped to ensure people understood the terms of payday loans and would not be taken advantage of by payday loans companies and other forms of predatory lending.

Held in Mobile, the convention also addressed topics like voter registration, leadership, racial discrimination and special topics for the women of the Alabama NAACP.

“It was great,” Dale said. “We got a lot of things accomplished and had a large crowd.”

Dale shared a Martin Luther King Jr., quote that particularly impacted him from the convention.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”