Back in the 1970s, Gladys Cooper only knew of one interracial couple living in Greater Danbury, now she sees many more, she said recently. Cooper, Danbury’s Board of Education chairman, told me this when I was interviewed her for an article I wrote regarding race relations in 1960s, 70s, and 80s in Danbury. Now, more Read More
Mixing It Up
A closer look at cultural diversity
Archive for the ‘Community Leaders’ Category
NAACP Image Awards Celebrity Sightings
I went to a viewing event for the NAACP Image Awards in Newark at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Friday. At the event, Roslyn Brock, the NAACP chairman, and A. Barry Rand, the CEO of AARP, presented Cathy Hughes with the 2012 Chairman’s Award. Cathy Hughes is the first and only African-American woman Read More
Lack of diversity on Main Street Partnership
People have been asking me why there aren’t any African-Americans on the Main Street Partnership in Danbury, CT. So I gave Mayor Mark Boughton a call to get the answer. Boughton said he didn’t really look at skin color when appointing people to the group, which is responsible for planning the revitalization of the city. Read More
Mayor’s office receives hundreds of tacos
Joseph Maturo’s office, a.k.a. East Haven Town Hall, received about 500 tacos Thursday afternoon, according to several media outlets. The tacos were donated to a local homeless shelter, reports said. Junta for Progressive Action, a Latino non-profit organization in New Haven, Conn., sent the tacos to the East Haven mayor on behalf of people who sent Read More
East Haven mayor helps Latino community one taco at a time
As you’ve probably heard, four East Haven police officers were arrested Tuesday on charges of intimidating and harassing Hispanic residents and business owners. I’m glad the FBI is holding these officers accountable for their actions, which are racist and bullying. However, since hearing a clip of their mayor talk, I’m not surprised that this type Read More
MLK celebration in Danbury Monday
New Hope Baptist Church will have its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration Monday, Jan. 16 at 11 a.m. Thirty-year-old Chris Price, a Danbury High School graduate will be the keynote speaker. The program will also include musical performances by members of the Danbury High School band and the church’s youth choir, as well as Read More
More Asian-Americans are running for Congress
There is a record number of Asian-Americans running for Congress in the 2012 elections, according to USA Today. There are currently 11 members of the U.S. House and two in the U.S. Senate who have Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander ancestry, the article says. But that’s really not that many compared to the 400+ Read More
Newt Gingrich to urge blacks to get off food stamps
“I will go to the NAACP convention and tell the African-American community why they should demand paychecks instead of food stamps,” 2012 Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said according to TheGrio.com. Gingrich allegedly made this comment during a town hall in Plymouth, New Hampshire. I’m not sure what the context of Gingrich’s statement was, but if it’s true that Read More
