Kai Belton

Celebrating Juneteenth, Parade, Liberation Day Festival in Middletown on Thursday

View this email in your browser Dear Neighbor, Thursday, June 19th is Juneteenth! Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in our country. For many years, this important holiday was primarily celebrated in the South but was unknown to others from the rest of the country. However, thanks to great advocacy work, it is now rightfully observed throughout the country, including Connecticut. In 2022, the Connecticut General Assembly voted to make Juneteenth a state holiday. Contrary to popular belief, the Emancipation Proclamation did not end the practice of slavery in America. It also did not end after the Civil War. On June 19, 1865, 2 months after the Civil War ended, a group of Union soldiers traveled to Galveston, Texas, and announced that all enslaved people were now free. They were among the last group of Americans to be notified of their freedom. Although Juneteenth celebrates a momentous event in our history, we must also take time to reflect on the horrors of slavery and its lingering effects on our society. As your state representative, I will continue to push for legislation that will make Connecticut a better state for all. If you have any questions about Juneteenth, its history, and how it has been celebrated around the country, please check out this page from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Juneteenth Parade, Liberation Day Festival is Thursday The 5th Annual Liberation Day Festival and 3rd Annual Parade in Middletown will be held on Thursday, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The parade begins at Prince Mortimer (Rapallo Ave.) to South Green. The festival starts immediately afterward at Harbor Park. This is a wonderful, family-friendly event. All are welcome. I'll be there. I hope to see you, too! Signed, Sealed and Delivered: HB7102 & HB7214 As a social worker and state legislator, I see the gaps between what we know and what we do. Mothers are falling through the cracks— not because we lack data, but because we haven’t fully acted on it. As Chair of the Black Maternal and Infant Health Caucus and Vice Chair of the Public Health Committee, this past legislative session, I took the lead on two critical bills that are now law: one establishes a task force to study perinatal mental health care as well as a report card for birth centers and hospitals providing maternity care. This bill also requires the Commissioner of Public Health to convene an advisory committee to study doula-friendly practices in hospitals. The other legislation I championed includes developing a strategy to increase birth centers and birthing hospitals in underserved regions of the state with a high percentage of Medicaid recipients and expanding the role of fathers in supporting maternal and infant health. $50 Million in School, Municipal Funding Headed to Middletown Great news Middletown! CT State Library Suggested Summer Reading List Our libraries have a lot of books, and through resource sharing, we have access to even more books! For the first time, the CT State Library is offering a Suggested Summer Reading List for all grade levels.  The Suggested Summer Reading list has been compiled around this year's theme, Level up at Your Library, an all-ages summer reading program.  The suggested list is just that, suggested! The list has been created with accessibility in mind and it's a guidance that matches the age breakdowns and number of titles as the Department of Education reading challenge lists.  Click here to access the list. Sincerely, Kai Belton State Representative Website Email Forward to a friend | Unsubscribe from this list | Update subscription preferences