Alika Hope

Personal life

Hope was born in Oregon to Samuel Bryant, a photographer; and Elizabeth Slaughter, a college professor. Hope has 2 older brothers and a younger sister. Hope attended the Catlin Gabel School, a progressive day school in Oregon. Hope identifies as American, of mixed ethnicity. African American, American Indian, Jewish, and Scottish. She has two children.

Hope is a soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha

Hope was married to Peter Despotopoulos from 2004-2014.

Hope currently resides in Connecticut and New York City.

Education

Hope holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame. She also minored in dance at St. Mary's College. She went on to receive her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Special Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Education career

Hope has worked with Early Head Start, Head Start, private and parochial schools, Mount Sinai Hospital, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Northside Center for Children, and New York City Public Schools. She is a former full-time faculty member at Borough of Manhattan Community College. Hope currently works as a staff developer and workshop provider for several organizations, including Ramapo for Children in New York City.

Hope was the co-author of “Hungry for Love”, an article in the Kaiser Permanente Journal.

Hope was the contributing writer for Chapter 9 in a McGraw-Hill textbook

Opera career

In 2003, Hope was the soloist singing "Ave Maria" National Shrine of The Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Sunday. This performance was broadcast internationally on EWTN.

Hope portrayed the role of Black Slave with Opera Company of Philadelphia and Cincinnati Opera in the world premiere of the opera Margaret Garner (opera) written by Tony Morrison and composed by Richard Danielpour. The opera starred Denice Graves.

She appeared with the Natchez Festival of Music (formerly Natchez Opera Festival) as Monisha in Joplin’s “Treemonisha”

Theatre

Hope is a member of Actors Equity Association.

Hope was in a production of South Pacific (musical) in the 2000s

Hope performed in The Island Lily in 2012, as Junie.

Hope was Mrs. Muller in “Doubt” with Berkshire Actors Theatre

Television

From 2013-2015, Hope was Co-Host of “CT Perspective TV”, which aired on WTNH (ABC Channel 8) ABC in Connecticut.

Ray of Hope Project

Hope is the founder of The Ray of Hope Project.

The Ray of Hope Project is an organization with the goal of using African American spirituals to shed light on the combined anti-slavery efforts of blacks and whites in 19th century New England. The Project includes nine musicians and actors who incorporate African American spirituals with live music in their participatory programs.

The Ray of Hope Project musicians and actors use historical records of successful African Americans and primary source readings to teach about slavery in America in the 1900s. Collaborations with schools, libraries, and museums throughout the United States have allowed the Ray of Hope Project members to create poems and performance material.

The Ray of Hope Project also uses the music and lyrics of 20th century social justice songs as a way of creating conversations around current issues of global social justice issues. Collaborations with schools, libraries, and museums throughout the United States have allowed the Ray of Hope Project members to create poems and performance material.

“Hope for a Motherless Child”, their first album, was released on May 4, 2016, at an event in Hartford., won a Gold Mom’s Choice Award in the category “Album Experiences, Ages 9-12”. The album also won a “preferred choice” award for Kids CD in the 2016 Creative Child Magazine awards. It was also awarded a Global Music Award in June 2016.

In June, 2016, Hope and the Ray of Hope project participated in Old Sturbridge Village's Juneteenth/Freedom Week. Alika was interviewed by Connecticut Public Radio about the experience. During an interview with Lioness Magazine, Hope stated that the motto of Ray of Hope Project is to "Feel the Music, Change the World"

Published Works

Hope's work has been featured in The New York Times, EWTN, New Yorker Magazine, Time Out NY, Opera News, and Opera Now.