ROCKY HILL, Conn. — Inside the Gold Star Families’ Memorial Auditorium on the grounds of the State Veterans Home, the Department of Veterans Affairs held a ceremony to honor Black History Month.
The event brought speakers from across the state all sharing their stories and stressing equality.
“The contributions that African American servicemembers have made are tremendous,” said Ron Welch, the new commissioner of Veterans Affairs and a retired Brigadier General.
The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Dr. Carlita Cotton, a town council member in Windham and a 20-year Air Force veteran. Cotton, years after her service, is still on a mission; she is stressing the importance of securing full disability benefits for Black veterans.
“The message I really want to get out there is there are still disparities as it relates to race for the Black American veterans and I wanted to emphasize that we can join the ranks together and that is a problem we can solve,” Cotton said on the podium.
At the end of her 20-minute-long speech, Cotton received a standing ovation from the crowd of veterans, state leaders, and friends in the auditorium.
Among the dignitaries in attendance for the Black History Month ceremony were the Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas and State Treasurer Erick Russell.
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Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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