Meet 2026 ‘Peace Portraits’ Honoree Benny Lee

Meet Peace Portraits honoree Benny Lee, CEO and co-founder of the National Alliance for the Empowerment of the Formerly Incarcerated (NAEFI). Lee is also a foundational figure in Chicago’s re-entry and Community Violence Intervention (CVI) spaces, as he helped lay the groundwork for the Metropolitan Peace Academy (MPA).  

Peace Portraits, presented by the Illinois Peace Project, is a visual project dedicated to spotlighting the incredible individuals making a difference in Illinois. This year’s six honorees embody the spirit of Peace Portraits, as they work tirelessly to strengthen their communities, empower residents, inspire change, and foster peace and harmony in their communities. 

Lee spends his days sharing his lived experience and wisdom with community members and incarcerated individuals across Illinois.  

“When I go into the jail and I’m talking to inmates, I bring things to them, imagining their experience being in jail similar to what it was like [for] me being in jail,” Lee says. “I try to bring out of them things to give them some hope. I try to get them to look at what life should look like for them after they get out of jail, and that’s their work while they’re in jail.” 

“Peace to me is getting rid of that inner personal conflict with self and seeing a brighter future for yourself,” Lee says. “It’s having the courage to meet a conflict head-on without resorting to violence. It’s being objective and having that desire to always reconcile. 

“That’s what peace is — having a matrix, a safe place, a place to explore future possibilities.”   

Read Lee’s story and check out the entire project here.