Social justice advocate to speak at BenU's annual King breakfast
Dalitso Samson Sulamoyo, Ph.D., will be the featured speaker at the 23rd annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast co-hosted by Benedictine University and the College of DuPage on Monday, Jan. 15.
The breakfast, which will honor the legacy of the late civil rights leader and celebrate diversity, will be 8 to 9:30 a.m. on the second floor of the Krasa Student Center at Benedictine University, 5700 College Road in Lisle.
Tickets are $30. All proceeds benefit the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund. For more information and tickets, call the McAninch Arts Center at (630) 942-4000 or visit www.cod.edu/mlk.
Born and raised in Malawi, Sulamoyo moved to the United States to escape the poverty that had ravaged his homeland and pursue higher education. He earned a Ph.D. in Organization Development at Benedictine University.
As CEO of the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, Sulamoyo oversees a multi-faceted government agency with over 100 different federal, state, and local grants and contracts. The agency's services range from community services, community development to early childhood development for income eligible families.
Prior to his work with the commission, Sulamoyo spent 16 years as president/CEO of the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies, which serve economically challenged citizens and communities of Illinois, and is past president of the Illinois Community Action Development Corporation, a statewide affordable housing development corporation. He currently sits on several local, state and regional boards and has been widely recognized for his contributions toward social and economic justice for Illinois residents.
In 2009, he was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award by the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies for his leadership in fighting for social justice. In 2010, he was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from the Illinois Head Start Association for his leadership in fighting for social justice for children and families. In 2017, he was the inaugural inductee of the Community Action Hall Fame in Illinois.
Benedictine University has also planned several community service projects in Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s honor to commemorate the spirit of service from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, in Kindlon Hall. Volunteers can participate in community service projects on campus such as contributing to a bicycle drive, making valentines for veterans and packing backpacks with personal hygiene items for DuPage PADS. For more information, contact Joan Henehan at jhenehan@ben.edu or (630) 829-6617.