March at QANC
Welcome back to the Queen Ann Nzinga Center newsletter. Our team has been working hard to provide our Watoto (Swahili for “children”) with engaging material that helps them build self-confidence and learn collaboratively.
Black History Month with Nzinga's Daughters
Nzinga’s Daughters were busy in February. As African American cultural stewards, they were asked to share their knowledge and stories with audiences across the state.
Highlights included:
Sharing the wisdom of elders at Immanuel House, where Ms Gail swapped stories with her new Nigerian “cousin”.
And celebrating youthful energy at the Bristol Boys & Girls Club, where the kids showed Nzinga’s Daughters how to use new inventions like custom-flavored water bottles.
If you weren’t able to join us, you won’t have to wait long to see Nzinga’s Daughters perform! As we enter Women’s History Month, we are preparing for this year’s Constance “Connie” Renee Wilson Collins Exceptional Women’s Concert.
Honoring Connie Collins
The Exceptional Women’s Concert is named in honor of Connie Collins, a visionary leader who left a lasting impact on Greater New Britain. As a co-founder of the Opportunities Industrial Center of New Britain, she played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s growth. Her unwavering leadership, resilience, and generosity serve as an inspiration for future generations.
Connie arrived in New Britain as a teenager and had to leave school to work, yet she never lost sight of the value of education and perseverance. Determined to achieve her dreams, she earned her GED, pursued studies at Tunxis College while raising a family, and ultimately obtained a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University. Learn more about her remarkable journey here.
This Year’s Honorees
Each year, this Exceptional Women’s Concert honors women who have made outstanding contributions to our community. Join us in celebrating this year’s honorees:
Wilma Barbosa: A New Britain Native who grew up in the projects of Malikowski Circle and went on to become a Justice of the Peace and Alderwoman for the city.
Taffie A. Bentley: An artist with a gift for sharing the world's beauty, whether through her macro photography work or as a musician with Nzinga’s Daughters.
Pansy Kennedy: A steadfast presence dedicated to nourishing her community, whether as Supervisor of Food & Nutrition at the Hospital of Central Connecticut or as a leader of the “Out of the Cold Soup Kitchen”.
Michele Stewart-Copes: A thought-leader championing culturally responsive solutions to mental health treatment who provides wraparound training through her company SEET Consulting.
Lena Tan: A renaissance woman who shines as a chemical engineer, environmental analyst, founder of East Culture Arts, Inc, and celebrated dance choreographer.
Becky Tyrrell: An education advocate who has lobbied for better Public Education opportunities and improved school nutrition programs since 2009.
Exceptional Women’s Luncheon
Ahead of the upcoming Exceptional Women’s Concert, Watoto participants attended the Exceptional Women’s Luncheon to meet this year's honorees and learn more about their stories.
Before the luncheon the kids practiced etiquette together and prepared questions to get to know the honorees better. On the day they dressed their best and made great connections with these remarkable women. Our youth were so interested in this year’s honorees that they were all chatting long after the formal interviews were finished!
Our honoree Wilma Barbosa shares her native tongue–Spanish–with several of our kids. It was wonderful for youth to hear her story in their shared language, and to then share what they learned with our students who do not speak Spanish. This has made all of our youth interested in incorporating more Spanish into the program. Of course we said yes because this is what Queen Ann Nzinga Center is all about–celebrating the many cultural identities that make up our community.
Upcoming Performance
In addition to meeting the honorees, Watoto participants have been preparing for the upcoming concert. They are in the process of writing a script to perform a series of skits that tell these women’s stories, as well as an original dance. Details for this year’s performance are as follows:
Sunday, April 6, 2025
4:00 PM 5:30 PM
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
355 Camp Street Bristol, CT
Admission is FREE - Please register HERE.
If you are able, please consider a donation to support our event. The suggested donation is $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors, but any donation helps to support our concert and programming!
We hope to see you at the show!
