VALDOSTA — A Georgia Supreme Court justice is the scheduled speaker for the annual 100 Black Men Black Tie Banquet early next month.

The banquet hosts Michael P. Boggs, Supreme Court of Georgia justice, said Roy Copeland, a past president of the Valdosta chapter of 100 Black Men and a friend of Boggs.

Boggs is also a former judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals and a former nominee to be a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Boggs was a controversial nominee for the U.S. district judge position in that he was a 2013 nominee of President Barack Obama but other Democrats opposed him for having views they deemed too conservative.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, who led the Judiciary Committee, told The New York Times that “it had become clear after talking to his colleagues that Mr. Boggs, under fire from Democrats for his conservative positions, could not win committee support. … Mr. Boggs earns the unusual distinction as the first Obama judicial nominee this term to fail because of Democratic opposition.”

The Obama administration did not renominate Boggs at a later date.

In November 2016, Boggs was one of three new state supreme court justices appointed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. He took office Jan. 1.

The 100 Black Men of Valdosta is part of a national organization dedicated to working within the chapter communities.

The 100 Black Men of Valdosta sponsors mentoring, tutoring and SAT preparation programs for area youths. It sponsors scholarships.

The organization sponsors events such as the annual barbecue competition downtown and feeds hundreds of people for Thanksgiving.

The 100 Black Men Black Tie Banquet is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 4, Valdosta Middle School, 110 Burton Ave. Ticket: $50 per person. Tickets still available. Call (229) 251-1349.