Alyssia Benford, a Bolingbrook Republican vying for the seat held by Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) in the 98th House District, took an active role on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor the civil rights leader and also the anniversary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.
Not only was the day an important time to come together in support of the heritage that King left, but also to celebrate the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's 110th anniversary, a Benford release said. The sorority was founded on Jan. 15, 1908 at Howard University in Washington D.C. Today, the sorority is the oldest African-American sorority in the country and has over 300,000 members globally.
"Dr. King was an advocate of non-violent activism and a civil rights leader," Benford said in the release. "He often spoke about kindness and compassion in the struggle to end racial discrimination in the United States."
In the release, Benford added, "I am honored to belong to a sisterhood that has members such as Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Mae Jemison."
Benford served with the Bolingbrook chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha at the DuPage Township Food Pantry, where the sorority has volunteered for the past four years.
In addition to the food pantry, Benford attended the sorority's 110th Founder's Day Celebration in Washington D.C. where the international president of the sorority donated $1 million to the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture as well as $250,000 to Howard University.
"We can all learn from Dr. King’s legacy and work hard to stop the discord and bring civility and respectfulness back to politics." Benford said in the release.
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