Alika Hope Becomes the First Black Woman to Be Crowned Ms. New England America

Entrepreneur, educator, TV personality and singer to compete in national competition to be held in August 2019.

Nationwide — Alika Hope, a resident of Connecticut, has been named Ms. New England America 2019 by the Ms. America® Pageant, Inc. The pageant will be held August 22-24, 2019 in California. Alika is co-founder and president of The Ray of Hope Project, which works with organizations across the U.S. to address issues of social justice through music and dialogue. She holds a B.A. from The University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from Columbia University, she earned a certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University, and she is a soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc.

Alika has traveled extensively as an actress and singer, appearing on stages in New England (Berkshires, Western Mass, Boston, CT, VT), and nationally with Opera Company of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, Chicago’s Navy Pier, Natchez Festival of Music, Oregon Jewish Museum, and other locations. She won a Gold Global Music Award for her album, Hope for a Motherless Child. Ms. Hope is co-host of “CT Perspective TV”, airing on Fox-61.

Known her entire life as “the girl with the loud, boisterous laugh”, Alika found a way to merge her laughter with her love of educating the public. After becoming a certified clinical trauma professional (CCLP) in 2018, Alika became interested in increasing awareness of the health benefits of laughter. As Ms. New England 2019, her platform focuses on the health and psychological benefits of laughter. “The Laugh of Hope Project” (www.laughofhopeproject.com) is a unique program created by Ms. Hope that brings workshops directly to community organizations. The workshops educate on the connections between laughter and health, help people clearly identify the things that bring them joy and laughter, and how to incorporate more of these things into everyday experiences.

Thanks to corporate and individual sponsorships, these workshops are offered free of charge to non-profits, assisted-living facilities, and other community programs.

As Ms. New England America 2019, Alika is also available to sing the National Anthem and God Bless America at community and sports events upon request.

The Laugh of Hope Project focuses on increasing awareness of the health benefits of laughter. Their mission is to help people find moments of joy throughout their day, find their authentic voice, and use that authentic voice to spread joy and hope.

For more information, including sponsorships or booking interviews and appearances, please contact:

Emille M. Bryant, MHR Director of Outreach
The Ray of Hope Project and The Laugh of Hope Project
(571) 210-5867
laughofhopeproject@gmail.com