February is Black History Month, a time when we celebrate the many achievements and contributions of individuals from the Black diaspora, as well as reckon with the systemic racism from the past that is still prevalent today.
| The theme for this year's month-long celebration is “African Americans and the Arts,” which spotlights Black Americans who excelled in various fields of creative expression and the influence they had on our country's culture.
Thanks to the tireless work of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus and other colleagues in the General Assembly in 2019, Connecticut became the first state to require public schools to include Black and Latino history in their curriculums. Black history is American history - this law ensures that the stories and triumphs of Black Americans will be taught throughout the school year.
I encourage you to take some time to celebrate and learn more about Black history, locally and throughout America. Connecticut is home to several organizations that honor and celebrate the Black experience, such as the Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford, and the Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American Museum in Strafford.
Click here to find more places to honor and support the Black history and culture in our state. |
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And there’s no other way I’d rather kick off Black History Month than honoring a friend and colleague we lost far too soon. Q was the first-ever Black person to be elected to represent the 100th house district in the Connecticut General Assembly. He was a trailblazer in so many ways, and a fierce advocate for education. Join me this Black History Month in honoring and celebrating his life.
Here are some of the incredible accomplishments he achieved during his short time with us:
- A Middletown Public Schools grad
- Earned a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Bryant University
- Earned a Master’s of Public Administration from Villanova University Villanova University
- Earned an Inclusion and Diversity Certificate from Cornell University
- The first Black person to be elected to represent the 100th house district in the State of Connecticut General Assembly
- Chair of the Aging Committee
- Chair of the Housing Committee
- Chair of the Labor Committee
- Co-founder of the educational nonprofit Equity CT
-An adjunct professor at University of Hartford
- A proud member of the CT Black and Puerto Rican Caucus
- A proud member of Beta Sigma Lambda, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Beta Sigma Lambda Chapter, Hartford, CT
Join me in keeping Q’s philanthropic spirit alive. The Q Fund will support the charitable causes and nonprofit missions he cared most about. ➡️RememberingQ.com |
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