The Root, News Report, Posted: Jan 20, 2015

 
On Tuesday the president will deliver his State of the Union address, and some special guests will have a front-row seat from first lady Michelle Obama’s box.

The White House released the invite-only list on Monday; the special invited guests include the Maryland Senate majority leader, a mother saved by surgery received through the Affordable Care Act, a former prisoner-turned-community activist and a 13-year-old whose letter to Santa found its way to the president.

Below are a few of the guests invited on behalf of the White House to attend this year’s State of the Union address:

Malik Bryant (Chicago)
Student

South Side teen Malik Bryant wanted one thing for Christmas that only Santa could bring: safety. So the 13-year-old wrote a letter to St. Nick saying, "All I ask for is safety. I just wanna be safe."

A nonprofit organization, moved by the seventh-grader's words, forwarded the letter to the White House, and the president, to Malik's surprise, wrote him back.

Malik lives with his mother, Keturah, and two sisters, and his favorite subject is math.


Prophet Walker (Carson, Calif.)
Co-Founder of Watts United Weekend

Prophet Walker spent six years in prison for robbery. While incarcerated, he started a program to help inmates work toward receiving a two-year degree. Once he was released, he vowed that he would never return and began focusing on his own studies while giving back to the community. The 27-year-old attended Loyola Marymount University's School of Engineering and currently works as a construction engineer. More than 100 prisoners have passed through the program that he founded and attend various universities.

Walker also works with InsideOUT Writers, which teaches juvenile offenders to express themselves through writing



See the rest of the list here.