Press Release - April 30, 2009
Temperature of the Times – Hot!
A sell-out crowd welcomed nationally-known political commentator Donna Brazile at BCAC’s 2009 Breakfast Conference, Temperature of the Times, on Tuesday morning, April 28. The hall was still as Ms. Brazile told the crowd of nearly 450, “I was a child who grew up poor. With 8 brothers and sisters, and 2 working class parents, we needed people to advocate for us.”
The audience applauded as she stressed how important it is to have advocates for children. An organization like Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition that is on the side of the children makes a difference,” she said. “All kids want is a chance to succeed.”
After describing her experiences growing up, she talked about her years working on campaigns and as a political commentator. She shared her perspective on the new administration. She gave the President high marks for his first 100 days. She asked how anyone could argue with a president who promised to provide healthcare for 11 million uninsured children and is now working to fulfill that promise.
“I love having someone in the White House who knows how to talk to us,” Brazile said.
Brazile surprised the audience with her humor. “I don’t agree with everything Obama has done,” she commented. “I would have chosen a Pomeranian.”
Brazile’s remarks mirror the mission and goals at BCAC, the organization that brought her to Bridgeport. “We have to be advocates for change every day,” Brazile said. “I want to stir the water.” She said of BCAC and its supporters, “You are my heroes, you are my champions.”
BCAC’s 2009 Breakfast Conference, a partnership with The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Casey Family Services, was held in Bridgeport’s Holiday Inn. State, regional, and local dignitaries at the Breakfast included Connecticut’s Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Chair of the State Democratic Committee Nancy DiNardo, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy. Numerous other elected officials from Bridgeport and surrounding towns attended as well.
BCAC gave a special Lifetime Achievement Award to Brian Langdon who recently stepped down after more than 25 years as Executive Director and President of FSW, formerly known as Family Services Woodfield.
The award was presented by BCAC Board Chair Edie Cassidy, who said, “It is no understatement to say that there might not be a BCAC without Brian Langdon. Brian understood that Bridgeport needed an organization to bring service providers and community leaders together – to look at larger issues. He knew that many were more powerful than one.”
As he accepted the award, Langdon confirmed Cassidy’s opinion. “The most important word in the name BCAC is coalition – that’s what we are and that’s our strength,” Langdon said.
Corporate Sponsors for BCAC’s 2009 Breakfast Conference were Aquarion, AT&T, The Community’s Bank, and People’s United Bank. Nonprofit sponsors included BCAC Members Career Resources, Fairfield University, FSW, and RYASAP. Other sponsors were the Early Childhood Department of the Bridgeport Public Schools, the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, and The Workplace.
Ms. Brazile is a nationally syndicated columnist and a weekly contributor and political commentator for CNN. She has worked on every presidential campaign since 1984, making history in 2000 as the first African American to lead a major one. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Washingtonian magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington, DC, Essence magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in America, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Award for Political Achievement and Ebony’s 150 most influential African Americans in the country.
The Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) is a coalition of organizations, parents, and other concerned individuals committed to improving the well-being of Bridgeport’s children through research, advocacy, community education and mobilization. To see photos
Contact: Catherine Onyemelukwe, Director, Development & Communications
203-549-0075 x 14, conyemelukwe@bcacct.org