By Linnet E. Carty Photo: Mayors Kevin Johnson, Pedro Segarra and Bill Finch
One of the best point guards in basketball to ever play the game came to Bridgeport Saturday to focus on education. Former Phoenix Sun and current Mayor of Sacramento California, Kevin Johnson joined Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra to talk about how they want to close Connecticut’s achievement gaps and improve outcomes for all students.
Hartford – CT. State Representative Matthew Ritter (D-Hartford, Bloomfield) helped kick off a 24-hour reading that began Tuesday morning of the 19th century literary classic Uncle Tom’s Cabin sponsored by the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford.
At left: State Rep. Matthew Ritter helped kick off a 24-hour reading of the 19th century literary classic Uncle Tom’s Cabin sponsored by the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford.
First published in March 1852, Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin painted a human picture of slavery in the United States, stirring international support for abolition before the Civil War.
First published in March 1852, Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin painted a human picture of slavery in the United States, stirring international support for abolition before the Civil War.
According to legend, Abraham Lincoln greeted the author in 1862 by saying "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war."
“The Stowe Center is one of Hartford’s true cultural gems and to this day Uncle Tom’s Cabin remains an international symbol of social justice,” Ritter said. “In many ways, the message of Uncle Tom’s Cabin still rings true today and I am proud to be part of this wonderful event.”
Ritter read aloud for 10 minutes from chapter 4 beginning just before 11:00 a.m. during the first hour of the 24-hour marathon reading. “There was something about his whole air, self-respecting and dignified, yet united with a confiding and humble simplicity” was one of the lines he orated.
In addition to 140 readers, programming at the Stowe Center included a screening of the 1903 silent film adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin and a discussion of the book led by Uncle Tom's Cabin scholar Adena Spingarn of Harvard.
Ritter represents the 1st Assembly District which includes parts of Hartford and Bloomfield. He serves on the Legislature’s Banks, Planning & Development, and Executive & Legislative Nominations committees.
Pictured at the presentation from left: I. Charles Mathews, Branch Board Chair, Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth and Family Center; Judith Green, Past President, Rotary Club of Hartford; James Morton, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Hartford; Susan Chatfield, Rotary District 7890 Assistant Governor; and Clinton Hamilton, Interim Executive Director, Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth and Family Center.
The Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth & Family Center has received a $20,000 gift from The Rotary Club of Hartford for its Second Century of Service capital campaign. The gift represents one of the largest contributions ever made by the Hartford Rotary, and will allow the YMCA to continue its mission of developing youth, promoting healthy living, and being socially responsible with North Hartford families.
"The Rotary Club of Hartford and the YMCA have both been serving the people of Greater Hartford for over 100 years. Today's Hartford Rotary members truly embody 'service above self' through their volunteer contributions to city youth, and today, with their generous gift to the Y," says James Morton, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Hartford. "We are honored by Rotary's generous gift that will help our young members develop the leadership skills they can use to become future community leaders!"
“What a thrill it was to present the Hartford Rotary Club $20,000 investment to the Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth and Family Center. Rotary's partnership with YMCA's is strong not only in the City of Hartford, but nationally and internationally as well. Our club will continue to support the impact of the YMCA through financial and volunteer support in the years to come. 'Service Above Self' - the Rotary motto - was certainly the theme for the day,” says Judith Green, immediate past president of the Hartford Rotary.
At the Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth & Family Center, the families and children of Clay/Arsenal and Upper Albany neighborhoods have direct access to health and wellness programs, child and family development education, teen and senior centers, along with traditional recreational benefits the YMCA is known for.
West Hartford, CT – December 14, 2011 – NBC Connecticut Anchor Keisha Grant has been named one of the “100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut” by the Connecticut chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The award was presented in a ceremony at the Hartford Hilton on Saturday, December 10th, 2011.
“NBC Connecticut is proud to have Keisha Grant as part of our award-winning news team. We are pleased that her hard work as a journalist is recognized by the Connecticut community,” said David Doebler, NBC Connecticut President and General Manager.
Grant joined the NBC Connecticut news team in 2003 and currently serves as the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. co-anchor for the station’s newscasts. Earlier this year, Grant was also recognized by the New Britain, Connecticut Chapter of the NAACP with a Community Involvement Appreciation Award for her contributions to the community.
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