Training the next generation of political leaders

Despite their political differences, if you were to look at the list of governors for the state of Connecticut going back to Jonathan Trumbull in 1769, there would be one unifying quality that all of them shared — they were all white. And with the exception of Ella Grasso and Jodi Rell, they were all male. This tells only a very narrow story of who lived and lives in Connecticut.

When the first census was held in 1790, non- white individuals ( comprised of both free and enslaved persons) made up 8 percent of Connecticut’s population. By 2019, nearly 35 percent of the state’s population was non- white. For a country that was founded on the ideal of a government of the people, for the people and by the people, communities of color and native people have been largely shut out of positions of power.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the leading state- local think tank, and the Campaign School at Yale University are holding a groundbreaking, two- day training program co- sponsored by the Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity and the Parent Leadership Training Institute that will help change that equation and foster a more equitable future.

Called “Representation Matters: Are You Ready To Run For Local Office?” this educational program, which runs from 10 a. m. to 3: 30 p. m. on Feb. 13 and 27, aims to give Connecticut’s communities of color the tools and know- how to run for political office or to serve on a local board or commission.

From my personal experience, I know how important it is to represent my community. That is why I ran. And that is why I’m participating in this training.

But for so many, there are incredible barriers — glass ceilings — to making that leap. Running for office requires knowledge on how to set up a campaign, fundraising, developing a message and building a communications plan, let alone the difficult decision to put yourself out there in the first place.

Hearing from other elected officials — state Treasurer Shawn Wooden, former Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson, and the only two elected minority town leaders, Bloomfield Mayor Suzette DeBeatham- Brown and Killingworth First Selectwoman Cathy Iino, among others — will be an important bridge for those who have not yet made that leap.

By investing in our communities of color and giving them these tools, CCM and TCS are saying that these voices matter and should be represented in our politics.

Sharon Sayles Belton, mayor of Minneapolis, said that “Public Policy is better when the people it’s designed to affect are making it — especially women, the poor and people of color.”

And I agree — we are the best experts on ourselves. We know what’s best for our communities because we are part of them. It is time that we spoke to these truths as leaders in our towns and cities.

Gemeem Davis, co- director of Bridgeport Generation Now, said, “Without representation, it is difficult to believe you are part of your government. Democracy is not a spectator sport and the structural obstacles that have kept people of color out of positions of power must be removed.”

In Connecticut, the governed is a multicultural melting pot; we are Native, Black, white, Hispanic, Latino, Asian. We welcome immigrants and refugees from around the world. We go to work together, and we go to school together. We must govern together.

That is why representation matters to me.