Senate Resolution No. 1293

BY: Senator BRESLIN

HONORING Luz Marquez Benbow upon the occasion of
her designation as recipient of the Jim Perry
Progressive Leadership Award by Capital District
Citizen Action on September 14, 2021

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made
significant contributions to the quality of life therein; and

WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of
certain extraordinary individuals it wishes to recognize for their
valued contributions to the success and progress of society and publicly
acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among
us all; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Luz Marquez
Benbow upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Jim
Perry Progressive Leadership Award by Capital District Citizen Action to
be celebrated at its 29th Annual Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, September
14, 2021, at The Linda, WAMC's Performing Arts Studio, Albany, New York;
and

WHEREAS, The Jim Perry Progressive Leadership Award honors the
legacy of Jim Perry, a gay rights leader and founding member of the
Capital District Chapter of Citizen Action of New York; his leadership
role both in the Capital District and statewide was exemplary, and his
dedication to politics and coalition building paved the way for the
passage of Albany's Human Rights Ordinance; and

WHEREAS, It is with the memories of Jim Perry's actions and words
that this vital organization recognizes those who have demonstrated a
commitment to community activism and leadership; and

WHEREAS, Luz Marquez Benbow is being honored with this auspicious
award for her role as one of the area's most dedicated, inspiring
activists and leaders who has spent countless hours working to make her
community a stronger, more just place to live; and

WHEREAS, Luz Marquez Benbow, who experienced a traumatic childhood,
is guided by survivor leadership and working at the intersections of
gender and race; and

WHEREAS, As a former Just Beginnings Collaborative Fellow from 2016-
2019, Luz Marquez Benbow was able to focus on her Black Latinx community
and formed the International Alianza de Mujeres Negrx (IamNegrx), a
survivor network of Afro Latinx to advance policy and movement building
toward ending child sexual abuse and sexual violence across the
Diaspora; and

WHEREAS, Additionally, she co-organized three national gatherings of
Afrodescendant adult survivors during El Dia Internacional de la Mujer
Afrolatinx, AfroCaribena y la Diaspora at Howard University in
Washington, DC from 2016-2018; and


WHEREAS, Historically, this international day was founded by four
Afrodominican sisters in the Dominican Republic in 1992 to address
sexism and racism; and

WHEREAS, Utilizing this important celebration globally, Luz Marquez
Benbow, along with five other survivor leaders and an ally envisioned
honoring this day (El Dia July 25th) in the U.S by centering Afrolatinx
survivors to discuss a taboo subject such as child sexual abuse and
sexual violence within her own community; and

WHEREAS, Luz Marquez Benbow has been an anti-rape policy advocate
since 1998, where she worked on statewide anti-sexual assault issues at
the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault; and

WHEREAS, In 2003, Luz Marquez Benbow co-founded the National
Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault (SCESA), the
first national anti-sexual assault organization developed by and for
Women of Color; and

WHEREAS, In her capacity as co-founder and Associate Director of
SCESA, Luz Marquez Benbow led the policy efforts for the development of
the Culturally Specific Grant program within the Violence Against Women
Act in 2005 and 2012; and

WHEREAS, Moreover, Luz Marquez Benbow spearheaded the policy efforts
regarding the equitable distribution of violence against women resources
in the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) of 2010,
across the U.S Territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S
Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands; and

WHEREAS, As a result, in 2010, Luz Marquez Benbow was present in the
Oval Office to witness the signing of the reauthorization of FVPSA by
then President Barack Obama; and

WHEREAS, Locally in her beloved City of Troy, New York, Luz Marquez
Benbow is one of the founders of Troy4BlackLives, a collective of
organizers focused on police accountability and transparency who came
together in 2017 after the non-fatal police shooting of Dahmeek McDonald
and police killing of Edson Thevenin in 2016; and

WHEREAS, Luz Marquez Benbow is the proud mother of three children,
raised in East Harlem and a first-generation Black Puerto Rican raised
by a single mom who made the best pasteles sold at the NYC Puerto Rican
Day Parade since 1979; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an
individual for the benefit of others which Luz Marquez Benbow has
displayed throughout her life; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens
of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Luz Marquez Benbow upon the occasion of her designation as

recipient of the Jim Perry Progressive Leadership Award by Capital
District Citizen Action; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Luz Marquez Benbow.