BY DR. JENNIFER SANKEY-BATTLES, GUEST WRITER TO THE TIMES, CFBNA Member
ORLANDO – On February 22, 2024, Phyllis Hancock, president of the A. Phillip Randolph Institute (APRI) was honored as a Distinguished Leader in Central Florida for Black History month by the House of Representatives with the award presented by Congressman Darren Soto. Hancock received this well-deserved recognition for her passion towards advocacy for racial equality, political literacy, and economic justice in the Black community which has had a positive impact on many in local churches, union halls, high schools, and community centers. Ms. Hancock is a longstanding and notable leader serving as the APRI president for over 20 years in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Lake County and a member of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) 3108 since 1975. APRI is the senior constituency group of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) consisting mainly of trade unionists. Graciously accepting the award, Hancock attributed her leadership abilities to her innate God-given skills, her mother Mae Belle Whitley Hancock, Pete Bohaczyk, her Campbell Middle School history teacher, and her membership in the Church of Christ. Present at the award ceremony to witness this distinguished occasion and to congratulate Phyllis for her well-deserved recognition were her family, friends, and APRI members. To learn more about APRI contact jakat46@aol.com, www.apricfl.org or 407-325-5878.
