On Saturday, May 14, 2022, Alabama State Representative Rolanda M. Hollis honored Adeyela Albury Bennett, CEO of Women in Training, Inc., at her annual Beautiful Women in Hats event. In all, Rep. Hollis recognized ten women as unsung heroes in the community. Women and girls donned colorful hats and fascinators decorated with feathers, rhinestones and assorted flowers. U.S. Congresswoman Terry Sewell was a special guest at the luncheon filled with local and state dignitaries and corporate sponsors.
Rep. Hollis honored Ms. Bennett for tirelessly managing WIT, a youth empowerment organization that advocates to end period poverty, specifically, and poverty in general. Ms. Bennett's twin daughters, Breanna and Brooke, started the organization in 2019 as their 12th birthday gift to the community.
"I commend Mrs. Bennett for her faithful devotion to her children's vision," Rep. Hollis said. "She must have started grooming them in the womb!"
Rep. Hollis also recognized Ms. Bennett for writing Only the Strong Survive: A Womanist Journey, a coffee-table anthology of mostly unknown women and goddesses throughout history who have made a mark on society. The book is available on Amazon, and is published by Mountain Arbor Press.
Several WIT board members, along with Ms. Bennett's family, went to the event to support her, including:
Ms. Akiesha Anderson, JD, Legal Counsel
Dr. Lee A. Farrow, PhD, Board Secretary
Ms. Stephanie A. McCorvey, Youth Development Director
Mrs. Sandra Whatley Washington, Development Director
Rep. Hollis had a surprise presentation for WIT co-founders, Breanna and Brooke, to express her appreciation for them inspiring her to introduce a bill to help end period poverty in Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey signed House Bill 50 into law in April 14, 2022. The law provides $200,000 annually in funding to the Alabama Department of Education to offer grants to Title I schools to enable them to provide free menstrual products to more than 50,000 eligible students.
"Thank you, Breanna and Brooke, for inspiring this new law!"Rep. Hollis exclaimed."You are my Sheroes."