BLOOMINGTON — The Monroe County Democratic Party (MCDP) will host its annual Viola Taliaferro Dinner on Friday, November 21, 2025, bringing together local activists and state leaders for an evening of strategy, fundraising, and celebration.
The dinner, held in honor of the trailblazing late Judge Viola Taliaferro—the first Black member of the Monroe County judiciary and a tireless advocate for children’s rights—will feature a prominent slate of speakers focused on democracy and state politics.
The event will take place at the Monroe County Convention Center, located at 302 South College Ave., in Bloomington. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and the program will run until 8:30 p.m.
The speaker lineup includes:
- Keynote Speaker: David Pepper
- Pepper is an author, lawyer, political activist, and former Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. He is widely known for his non-fiction books, Laboratories of Autocracy and Saving Democracy, which focus on the erosion of democracy through overlooked state and local politics.
- Special Guest: State Senator Fady Qaddoura
- Senator Qaddoura (D-Indianapolis) represents Senate District 30 and made history as the first Arab Muslim lawmaker in the Indiana Statehouse. He is a prominent voice on fiscal policy, education, and healthcare.
- Emcee: State Senator Shelli Yoder
- Senator Yoder (D-Bloomington) will serve as the master of ceremonies for the evening, guiding the program and celebrating the legacy of Judge Taliaferro.
The MCDP announced that additional speakers are expected to be confirmed soon.
The annual dinner is named for Judge Viola J. Taliaferro, who graduated from the Indiana University School of Law at the age of 49 and became a dedicated judge in Monroe Circuit Court VII, where she specialized in juvenile and family law. She remains synonymous with jurisprudence involving children’s rights until her retirement in 2004.
The dinner serves as a crucial fundraising and organizing event for the Monroe County Democratic Party, honoring the commitment to public service exemplified by Judge Taliaferro.
Tickets and further details about the Viola Taliaferro Dinner are available through the Monroe County Democratic Party’s official channels.
