https://www.thehour.com/stamford/article/UConn-Co-op-celebrates-Black-History-Month-8120377.php
UConn Co-op celebrates Black History Month
By KARA O'CONNOR
Times Staff Writer
Rosa James looks over cosmetics from Betty Douglas and Soul Purpose Liifestyle at Stamford UCONN Campus during Stamford's 8th annual black history month celebration Wednesday.
Hour photo / Erik Trautmann
Photo: (C)2011, The Hour Newspapers, all rights reserved
STAMFORD -- Wednesday marked the UConn Stamford Co-op's eighth annual Black History Month celebration, and Debbie Gunzelman says the event gets bigger and better every year.
"This is the 8th years that CITI (Connecticut Information Technology Institute) has co-hosted this event and it continues to get larger," said Gunzelman, CITI's director of non-credit programs. "And the group gets more enthused, not only about the event, but about Black History Month in general."
On Wednesday, the Rich Concourse at the University of Connecticut, Stamford Campus, was filled with local organizations, businesses and community members who were gathered to remember the past struggles of blacks in America, and celebrate the possibilities of the future.
Keynote speaker Jack Bryant, the president of the NAACP's Stamford chapter, spoke about the NAACP's history, noting that many have endured long battles and hard work to get to the point where American society is today.
"In the early 1950s a little girl named Linda Brown had to walk miles to get to the black elementary school she was assigned to when a white elementary school was only a few blocks away," said Bryant. "Her father decided to take his little girl's case to the Supreme Court, and after many years and a few appeals, the court finally ruled that separate but equal has no place in the schools. Although that rule didn't apply everywhere right away, this was a huge step for civil rights, and it brings us to where we are today -- where students can sit in a classroom and the color of their skin is not an issue."
William Callion, Jr., a member of the 100 Black Men of Stamford, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the educational and economic conditions for blacks and others in need, with a particular focus on the development of youth, said the most important thing to do now is focus on the future.
"We all need to look out amongst ourselves and take some action," said Callion. "We need to harness our energy in a positive way to make this world a better place. We need to look out for our next leaders, and we need to educate them and help them grow. As they say 'we need to go forth and conquer.'"
Nickola Walker, owner of Filigree N.Y.C., a jewelry company, said this is her second year participating in the Uconn Stamford Co-op's Black History Month celebration.
"This is a wonderful event," said Walker. "It really emphasizes black women running small businesses, like myself. It gives us a lot of exposure, which is great because we don't get that too often."
Norwalk resident Jo-Ann Thompson Claybourne, owner of Creative Artworks by Jo-Ann, has been attending the event for the past five years and said she is thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful program.
"It's great to get involved in such a supportive community event like this," said Claybourne. "I like the social aspect of it, although the exposure is also nice. This is just a great way to get the community involved with supporting small business and celebrating history."