LEGACY OF WANDA RENITA ALSTON
1959-2005



Wanda Renita Alston of Washington, D.C., was born April 7, 1959 in Newport News, Virginia, the tenth of eleven children born to Arabelle and William D. Alston. She graduated from high school in Newport News, served in the U.S. Air Force, graduated from Norfolk State University in Virginia and, in recent years, earned a master’s degree in business administration from Southeastern University.

In the 1990s, Wanda served in several high-profile positions with the National Organization for Women: as the executive assistant to former NOW President Patricia Ireland, with whom she often traveled; as the co-leader in 1995 of NOW’s delegation to the U.N. World Conference on Women in Beijing; as a political organizer for five national marches in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco; and as a regionally elected member of NOW’s National Board of Directors.

In the late 1990s and until her death, Wanda served the District government: first as a census organizer; then as a Special Assistant to Mayor Anthony Williams for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs; and since September 2004 as a member of Anthony’s cabinet, after Wanda mobilized support for raising the profile of the office.

Wanda was active in Democratic Party politics. In 2000, she served as a District of Columbia delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. In 2004, she was the party whip for DC delegates at the Democrats’ convention in Boston. During her long career, Wanda also worked as a political consultant and as an events organizer with the Human Rights Campaign Fund.

Wanda was active in the recovery movement in Washington, D.C., and had attended conventions in other cities as well. As a friend and mentor, she helped dozens of people get clean and sober and stay that way. Wanda was also an active member of her local church, Unity of Washington, on Capitol Hill.Over the years, Wanda has been a stalwart of support to her family, especially in the wake of the murder of her sister, Valerie, and also to close friends who faced losses.

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