A Word from the President

It is probably not news to any African organization in Illinois or even in the United States that the people of Benin do not usually come first when it comes to organizing themselves in structured organizations so as to come together and help each other culturally, socially, and economically. The State of Illinois is not an exception. The descendants of Benin living in this state have tried in the past to unionize themselves as an organization. There have been a few celebrations of births in family, and even some Independence Day festivities.

Today, there is a new force in the Beninese community that has been able to start running the gatherings of Beninese of Illinois officially as an organization. We have placed ourselves in a position where we can efficiently network with other African organizations as well as the business community of the whole United States of America. 

In the near future, Chicago and its surrounding cities will begin witnessing activities and exploits from the Beninese of Illinois. We also aim high, network, and aspire for such things as Benin Fest in Grand Park Downtown Chicago, Benin Independence Day parade on Columbus Avenue, and more. This is a new era within the Benin community of Chicago and we are very excited about it. We are encouraging all people from all works of life to come together and provide a hand of support to us so that we can quickly and diligently reach these noble goals of ours.

Sincerely,


S. Bobby Dagnon
President
The Association of Beninese of Illinois

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