The Culpeper Branch of the NAACP, which also serves Madison and Rappahannock counties, will honor Culpeper native and longtime attorney John J. “Butch” Davies at its 44th annual Freedom Fund Banquet. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 4 at noon at Pepper’s Grill in Culpeper.
Freedom Fund Committee Chair Rev. Frank D. Lewis stated that Davies was highly deserving of the branch’s 2025 President’s Award, which will be presented at the banquet.
“Butch has been a friend of the NAACP in our community for decades,” Lewis said. “He has been a longtime advocate for the branch overall and has provided support to many of our members through the years. He truly cares about our community.”
Born and raised in Culpeper, Davies attended Culpeper County High School and Randolph-Macon College, then earned his law degree from the University of Richmond. He is a co-founder of the Davies, Barrell, Will, Llewellyn & Edwards law firm in Culpeper, where he practiced for 50 years until his recent retirement.
Davies served in the Virginia House of Delegates for four terms and has served on numerous community-based boards, including the Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce, Culpeper United Way, Germanna Community College Educational Foundation, Virginians for the Arts, Piedmont Environmental Council, and Rapidan Habitat for Humanity. Davies’ leadership has also included serving as president of the Culpeper Historical Society, the Piedmont Bar Association, the Lions Club, and Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. He continues his longtime support for his alma mater, Randolph-Macon, where he has established a need-based scholarship.
This year’s Freedom Fund event is themed “Standing Strong in the Midst of Adversity.” Speakers at the banquet include Rev. Lewis of Antioch Baptist Church in Madison and the Rev. Dr. Sheldon Pleasant of Antioch Baptist Church in Culpeper. Musical groups will include Brother Jesse Hines & Company.
Tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for youth aged 21 and younger. Information on reservations can be found at the branch website at https://naacpculpeper.org/. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Reservations can also be made by mailing a check to NAACP Culpeper, P.O. Box 687, Culpeper, VA, 22701.
NAACP Culpeper regularly meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. Meetings are typically held in the Culpeper Business Center on Lovers Lane, where the branch office is located. Meetings are in-person and via Google Meet. For meeting links and call-in information, contact admin@naacpculpeper.org. More information on the Culpeper Branch of the NAACP can be found at https://naacpculpeper.org/.
