It was my honor and privilege to be the keynote speaker for the First Baptist Church of Stratford’s annual Black History Month program and luncheon, held Saturday, February 21st from 12 Noon to 3 PM. The church is located at 1301 Stratford Avenue. The program celebrates our shared history, honors our collective legacy, and invites our community, church goers, and our neighbors alike, to celebrate with us in fellowship.
With a thoughtful program, it was a standing room only event! A time filled with food, song, and dance, with a heartfelt invitation to the Stratford community to participate in this utterly magical event, honoring the journey of the African American community.
I welcomed our newly installed Mayor David Chess and Stratford Town Council Chair Anthony Afriyie as guests of First Baptist. These Town leaders sat with the Smart family, including my mother, Mrs. Laura Smart of Stratford. In addition, they both received a warm and heartfelt reception from the members of First Baptist Church and our many visitors.
Not only were we celebrating Black History Month and African American excellence, but it was a celebration of unity, as well. We also witnessed history because Saturday marked the first time ever in our Church that our town’s Mayor and a sitting Town Council Chair were able to break bread with the congregation.
Black History Month may be coming to a close as February comes to an end, but what we will celebrate everyday, and every month ahead, is our community. In light of the extraordinary public developments taking place across our country right now, it’s no real surprise that this year’s Black History Month hit very differently: This is who we really are and these are our values. Let this month be one in remembrance of us.
Byline: Donald Edward Smart, Esq., a native of Stratford, Connecticut and a resident of Milford, Connecticut, is an attorney engaged in the private practice of law with offices in Milford. Atty. Smart is a subject matter expert on constitutional law and advises numerous clients on a wide variety of constitutional law matters. In addition, Atty. Smart represents corporate law clients in the financial services arena as well as college and professional athletes. Atty. Smart is one of the first African Americans to earn three degrees from Harvard University, having graduated with honors from Harvard College, with distinction from The Harvard Business School, and is also a graduate of Harvard Law School.
