‘ We hope to be able to follow in his footsteps’
Bridgeport Black Democratic Club revived in late Sen. Ed Gomes’ memory
BRIDGEPORT — Army veteran. Steelworkers union representative. State senator.
Ed Gomes accomplished so much in 84 years before his untimely death last year from injuries sustained in a car crash.
But one thing he didn’t live to see was the revival of the Greater Bridgeport Black Democratic Club he had been instrumental in forming earlier in his life.
A group of activists is picking up the effort, forming a club in Gomes’ name to “identify and support potential candidates and advocate for causes that ensure equity, justice and parity for the Black community, which is too often marginalized and disenfranchised,” they announced in a press release.
“When he retired it was one of his goals,” Nichola Hall, the club’s chairperson, said during an interview. “When he passed unfortunately he hadn’t gotten a chance to start it. We thought this would be a great idea to
make sure that his legacy lives on, to make sure that his presence is still felt in the community. He played such a pivotal role in so many people’s lives.”
Hall recalled countless meetings of community organizations where Gomes would appear and instantly be treated with “so much respect and admiration,” befitting his role as a towering figure in city politics for decades.
Despite that, he would put audiences at ease with anecdotes, stories, and political lessons.
“It was almost like you were at a campfire,” Hall, assistant director of the Bridgeport school district’s food and nutrition program, said. “I was always enamored by him. The folks that are part of this group, the club, that’s what we want to hold on to. And we hope to be able to follow in his footsteps.”
First Vice Chair Emma Brooks, a Stratford resident and former Town Council member, agreed.
“Anything Ed Gomes supported I supported wholeheartedly, primarily because of his integrity in a world where that seems non- existent in many cases,” she said. “Any time you talked to Ed on the political level he would mention the Black Democratic Club of old. He would always say we need to get that back together again.”
Beyond identifying potential candidates, Hall and Brooks mentioned issues like school funding and the questions looming over Bridgeport’s Water Pollution Control Authority as issues the club will be more involved in.
Other officers include Michelle Bradshaw of North Haven, treasurer, and Ronelle Swagerty of Bridgeport, secretary. Founding members also represent the towns of Shelton and Trumbull.
State Sen. Marilyn Moore, D- Bridgeport, whose district includes Trumbull, serves as the club’s adviser.
Moore ran a mayoral campaign against incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim that came close to defeating the city’s political machine in a September 2019 primary, with the mayor relying on absentee ballots to eke out a victory.
Moore claimed fraud in the city’s absentee ballot process. An investigation by Hearst Connecticut Media Group revealed a system rife with irregularities — including voters who said they were pressured to vote for the mayor and received ballots despite not requesting them — but Ganim’s victory was upheld in court.
Hall and Brooks said that they didn’t form the club as a direct challenge to Ganim, or Mario Testa, the longtime Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee chairman and close Ganim ally. But they are challenging the status quo — and said local politicians should get onboard.
Hall said the group has a core of educated black women — she has a master’s in human resources and is pursuing her doctorate — who “have a mission, and the mission is to make some changes here in Bridgeport.”
She said the club will get behind “anything that garners change, especially for Black and brown people. And open and transparent discussions about what has to happen. We’re well overdue.”
“I don’t want to wait 400 years for changes to happen,” Hall said. “I would love to see small, progressive changes. I would love for Bridgeport to be part of more positive news.”
“We haven’t seen great results,” Brooks said. “Our quality of lives haven’t improved in years. But our focus is preparation, recruitment, knowledge, empowerment.”