Submitted by Anita Ford Saunders, Middlesex County NAACP President
(December 11, 2023) — The Connecticut State Conference of the NAACP held its 58th Annual Convention November 17 and 18, 2023 at Foxwoods Resort. The Middlesex County NAACP Branch was honored with three prestigious awards that weekend:
NAACP Membership Award for outstanding leadership and community involvement by increasing membership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
W.E.B. Dubois Civil Rights Advocacy Award for displaying exemplary dedication and commitment to the mission and vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Rosa Browne, State Treasurer, and a past president of the Middlesex County Branch, received the President’s Award to honor her outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the advancement of civil rights, the fight for equality, justice and change in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The W.E.B. DuBois Civil rights Advocacy Award is particularly meaningful to the branch because Dr. DuBois was a founding member of the NAACP and the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. DuBois published widely before becoming NAACP’s director of publicity and research and starting the
organization’s official journal, The Crisis, in 1910.
President Saunders was anxious to give thanks to members of the community. “I couldn’t be more grateful to our funders and supporters for their confidence and commitment to the work we do in the name of justice and equity.” Saunders, whose administration began January 1st of this year, added accolades for the
leadership at the state and local levels. “The Connecticut State Conference under President Scot X. Esdaile’s leadership has been completely supportive from day one. The branch executive team plays a critical role, and our members are the heart of the branch. None of this work could be done without everyone working toward a shared vision.”
The Middlesex County NAACP, founded in 1946, continues to advocate and serve as a source for women and children during difficult times, stand for students’ right to equitable education experience, and seek solutions to health disparities that plague our community. Our mission is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color. For more information email info@middlesexctnaacp.org.
Photo by Kennies Earl, Kennies Earl Kreative House
