By David Fortier
One of Bristol’s own returned from her post with the government in Washington D.C. to remind people what it is about Bristol that shaped her and prepared her for success.
“I am very thankful for the community here that saw something in me at the age of 16 that the White House sees in me as an adult,” Danisha Craig said. “When we refer to roots, we’re referring to what grew us.”
Craig, a BCHS graduate and legislative aide with the Energy Dept., was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Greater Bristol Chapter NAACP Scholarship Breakfast in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rev. Dr. Eddie C. Whitehead held Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
“Today, I am grateful for the community and those who surrounded me to ensure opportunities were presented so I could reach and attain my goals,” said Craig, who spoke on the theme “The Energy of Our Roots.”
“It is critical that those who hold position of power or know opportunities do not gatekeep them,” she said, “but allow individuals to grow and step into roles that need representation, that need our representation.”
The event drew 200 people to the Bristol Eastern cafeteria, where they prayed, led by Pastor Patricia Washington-Rice of Beulah A.M.E. Zion Church, and sang the Negro National Athem, “Life Every Voice and Sing,” led by local educator and entertainer Latanya Farrell, and heard from local dignitaries during a two-hour program.
Craig’s family moved from Hartford over 20 years ago, Craig said. Her mother was looking for a more supportive community, with a more positive environment and better school system with plenty of extracurricular activities.
“My mother signed me up for absolutely everything,” she said. “Bristol has so much to offer.”
More importantly, she added, Bristol understands and values the biggest asset for any community, its children.
By the time she was in high school, she said, she had plenty of opportunities and the freedom to become a leader among her peers. She served on many school clubs as president, was her class’s vice president, and was a captain of her track and field team.
“These little efforts that may seem small scale are seeds that grow larger platforms and responsibilities with time,” she said. “I’m grateful for every position that grew to broaden my horizon and created endless possibilities for my future.”
Among the highlights of these was being named Bristol Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year 2012 and being mentored by former Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, an experience, she said, that helped prepare her for her current position.
“As a congressional staffer on Capitol Hill,” she said, “I’ve had the honor and privilege to write and advise on remarks for press conferences, hearings, high level meetings, public engagements for members of Congress, however, preparing remarks for this morning for breakfast was probably one of my biggest challenges.”
Before joining the Energy Dept., Craig was an legislative aid in U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s office, and graduated with a bachelor’s in political science from Marist College, where she was also a Division 1 track and field athlete.
“To the honorees, the students, and even the adults I’m joined by today, I leave with you the importance of always walking with your head held high, asking for help when needed; surround yourself with uplifting positive people; and continue to persevere when things may seem bleak.”
Master of cermonies Corey Nagle, who introduced Craig also taught her science in middle school. In his remarks, he recounted meeting her in Washington, D.C., when he was part of an educational conference. He volunteered to talk with U.S. Senators Blumental and Chris Murphy.
When he got to the offices, Nagle said he noticed her name on a placard. He asked if it was who it thought it was, and it was. She was having lunch. Another aid texted her and they caught up. He even had a few pictures taken her.
“The conference organizers were, like, we’ve never had a teacher meet a student as part of a Capitol Hill visit,” he said.
Before the keynote, Greater Bristol Chapter president Tim Camerl provided welcoming remarks, Mayor Jeffrey Caggiano offered a welcome from the city and introduced local dignitaries, and State Sen. Henri Martin addressed pending legislation in Hartford.
Ronetta Stokes, granddaughter of scholarship honoree the late Rev. Whitehead, shared memories about her grandfather, who received many honors from the city and local organizations, including being honored with the key to the city by former mayor Bill Storz.
“He called me one day and said, ‘Baby, I needed you to bring me down to the mayor’s office,’ and I said, ‘Grandpa, but you can’t just walk in,’ and he said, ‘Yes, I can–I have the key to the city.’”
She said her grandfather advocated for change, how there needed to be change, with more minorities in the school system, the police department and the fire department.
“He was all about making the community stronger,” she said.
“He talked about listening and learning. He said, ‘I’m involved in getting people to think in all kinds of ways.’ He said, ‘We can move mountains together.’ He encouraged you, he shaped you, and he empowered you to do something.”
In his comments, the mayor said he has always found working with the local NAACP branch a positive experience. He cited two incidents in the past year, as examples.
“During this past summer, we had racist fliers around town, creating some issues in our town, and we all spoke out against that,” he said, adding that he appreciated the local NAACP chapter working to help keep things calm and cool.
“Oct. 12 was a tragic thing for this town,” he said about the second incident, the shooting of several Bristol police officers, two of whom were killed. “We saw people coming together on that issue.”
State Sen. Henri Martin (R-31) addressed several issues of interest, including one on workforce development, another on the safety of healthcare workers and another on shared parenting.
“Every single year there’s over 4,000 bills, your ideas, that get presented by state legislators, by listening to their constituents and what their needs are,” he said, “and only about 300 actually get modified in current laws, or news laws get proposed,” he said.
After a closing prayer from Pastor Will Dennis, NAACP chapter president Camerl closed the meeting.
“We all can do better,” he said. “Bristol is no better than my personal best, your personal best. And we hopefully plan to give our personal best back together.”
“I like the way this crowd looks,” he added, “because it truly represents Bristol and the NAACP will stand with Bristol and for Bristol.”
Proceeds from the breakfast go to a local scholarship fund for students from the communities served by The Greater Bristol Chapter of the NAACP, including Bristol, Burlington, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth, and Southington.
For information about the local chapter, including meetings dates, go to www.greaterbristolnaacp.org.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access eight (8) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access eight (8) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.