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2/14/2023
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Op-Ed: Remember Mel Benson
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By Rep. Julie A. Casimiro
There are countless Rhode Islanders whose memory continuously shines within our hearts and then, there was Mel Benson.
The Honorable Melvoid J. Benson was a wife, a mother, an educator, a state representative and one of North Kingstown’s most beloved residents and public servants. To say that Mel Benson cared for every single soul she came into contact with would be a massive understatement and her warmth, wisdom and compassion is missed every single day.
She was one of the first African American women to be elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives where she served District 32 for seven terms from 1990 until 2004. Beginning in 1965, she taught at Hamilton Elementary, Quonset Elementary, Davisville Middle School and Wickford Middle School, helping shape the minds and hearts of numerous generations in North Kingstown. Later, she served on the North Kingstown School Committee for eight years where she continued to devote her time and efforts to ensuring that every single child in North Kingstown received the top-quality education that they deserved.
She was a woman of remarkable strength and perseverance, clearly demonstrated when she established the “Estes Benson Award.” Named after her late son, Mel knew and valued the power of education and that’s why every year, the “Estes Benson Award” grants scholarships to the graduating Black senior students of Rhode Island with the highest overall academic grade point averages. One of her favorite sayings was “it’s a lot easier to build a boy than it is to rebuild a man,” and she put this belief into practice with every single child that came into her life over her 30-year academic and educational career.
She was a fierce advocate for North Kingstown as she walked the State House halls on Smith Hill and she developed a universally respected reputation for her honesty, integrity and for always keeping her word. Mel Benson knew how to appeal to everyone’s common humanity as she built partnerships and relationships that got what needed to be done at the State House for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders, especially those struggling to get by. One of her greatest legislative accomplishments was the planning and development of the Quonset Business Park, creating thousands of well-paying jobs for Rhode Island’s residents and families.
One of the fondest things everyone truly remembers and misses about Mel is that 1,000-watt smile that could warm even the coldest of hearts and after spending the briefest moments with Mel, it was abundantly clear that she lived to help and care for others. She was a woman of strong faith who opened up her home to anyone in need of a caring ear or an honest discussion at her kitchen table. Some would call her “the mother of North Kingstown” and this was no truer than when Mel would welcome all to her legendary Christmas Eve celebrations.
In honor of this year’s Black History Month, I ask that you remember the Honorable Melvoid J. Benson and the lasting legacy she has left behind. Every time you walk into the Melvoid J. Benson Post Office Building on 7715 Post Road, remember Mel and ask what you can do to honor her life by helping someone in need. That’s exactly what Mel would have wanted.
Rep. Julie A. Casimiro, a Democrat, represents District 31 in North Kingstown and Exeter.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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