Training program urges people of color to run for office in Connecticut - Hartford Courant

Only two of the 169 towns in Connecticut are led by mayors of colored people, and few blacks and minorities hold elected positions. When Suzette DeBeatham-Brown ran for Bloomfield Town Council for the first time, some people "don't appreciate my amazing melanin.

"They say we don't like your look, hair or the way you speak. You don't represent us. People say this to me in this beautiful town," DeBeatham-Brown said.

She adheres to the philosophy of "in politics, you are setting or on the agenda". Today, DeBeatham-Brown is the two mayors of Broomfield.

Connecticut has 169 municipalities and 35% of the state’s population is non-white. According to the Connecticut Municipal Council, there are only two people of color at the top of the list: Bloomfield and Killingworth, and its first featured woman is Katherine Eno.

The two-day training program in February-submitted through the CCM and the Sport School at Yale University-tried to change how to teach colors for the political office and how to run successfully if they were elected.

"Representative matters: Are you ready to run for the local office?" DeBeatham-Brown and Iino will be held at Zoom on two Saturdays (from 10 am to 3:30 pm) from February 13th to 27th. Free admission.

CCM Executive Director and CEO Joe DeLong (Joe DeLong) said: “One of the principles of establishing a nation is to establish a representative government, which is a goal that the United States is still pursuing.” “Increase racial diversity and increase opposition, The input from the city council and committees has broadened the horizon and ensured more thorough recommendations."

DeBeatham-Brown said: "We already know that we have to leave a space for ourselves on the table." "You have to bring the chair to the table, and sometimes add an extension to the table."

Iino’s ancestors spent time in a Japanese detention center during World War II. She said that non-white people sent messages to others in the election office. Ino said: "If you don't see other people playing specific roles like you, then you don't imagine yourself doing it."

She also said that the more kind people involved in political activities, the better. She said: "Nowadays, people don't think of politics as a public service." "I meet a lot of volunteers who say'I don't want to participate in politics' as if it were a rough activity. That is a problem. attitude."

The first day of "Representative Matters" will introduce how to run for public office.

Skills covered on February 13 include presentation skills, networking, conducting events, raising basic knowledge, developing information, establishing communication and strategic plans, digital and social media best practices, deciding to run, finding voices and making them important. Alumni of Yale Sports School will hold a round table discussion.

The next day will discuss how to serve once elected. Deron said that this is not as easy as it seems.

"We have people who run for office for specific reasons. That's not necessarily a bad thing. They are frustrated about something. They want to fix it. But once they take office, they will find that their responsibilities go far beyond They are interested in individual issues." "We have to spend a lot of time training, showing them the resources, their responsibilities, open meetings, and balancing the budget."

On February 27, the talks will include:

The panel discussion was conducted by DeBeatham-Brown, Iino, Middletown City Councillor Ed Ford, Branford Tax Commissioner Roberta Gill-Brooks, and Bridgeport City Council Chairman Aidee Nieves.

DeBeatham-Brown said people of color may be intimidated to run for office, or they may feel meaningless because there is no change. She encouraged people to keep running.

"It will be difficult. You may be the only one. You may be swimming upstream. But do it. Be afraid. Find a circle that supports you and use it as a starting point. Strong faith. People want to see the heart of service, service Mentality and give you a chance," she said.

Those who registered the program

You will receive an email with a zoom link.