West Hartford resident Lorna Little, who is a social worker and author of the memoir ‘Mum’s the Word!’ as well as executive director of St. Agnes Home and a social justice advocate, will serve as the emcee of the concert honoring women leaders. 

Lorna Little. Submitted photo

Submitted 

Queen Ann Nzinga Center, Inc. will host its 7th Annual “Connie Wilson Collins Exceptional Women Concert” honoring outstanding women from the Greater New Britain, Plainville, and Bristol community on March 19. The noteworthy women will be honored with poetry, dance, tributes and live musical performances from Nzinga’s Daughters, Crown Imperials, VOICES and legendary soul singer Betty Harris.

Author, renowned speaker, social justice activist and past “Exceptional Woman” recipient Lorna Little, of West Hartford, will serve as master of ceremonies. Little, a social worker, is the executive director of St. Agnes Home in West Hartford – a group home for young pregnant women and mothers and their babies.

The celebration will honor: Nicole Sanders, Ph.D.; Rhona Cohen and Brenda Torres, of New Britain; Sue Bradley and Tabitha Wazorko-Manafort, of Plainville; and Kendra Morales and Karen Vibert of Bristol.

The event gives girls in the PRIDE program an opportunity to learn about successful local women and celebrate their accomplishments. The girls in the program will present skits that tell the stories of the honorees’ service to others.

The public is invited to attend the concert and celebration, scheduled for March 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Trinity-on-Main, 69 Main St., New Britain. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, visit http://qanc.org  or call 860-229-8389. All proceeds help fund programming for the QANC, a nonprofit organization which emphasizes artistic expression and teamwork to build program participants’ skills and self-esteem.

The celebration is made possible with financial support from American Savings Foundation, the Greater Hartford Arts Council, Friends of Jimmy Miller, J. Walton Bissell Foundation, Elizabeth H. Norton Trust Fund, Wells Fargo and the New Britain Commission on the Arts.

Honorees

Nicole Sanders, Ph.D., of New Britain, is the principal of the Northend Elementary School in New Britain. In her 17 years in education, she has worked as a teacher, curriculum developer and instructional coach while being a catalyst in reforming schools and the district.

Rhona Cohen, of New Britain, is an activist and leader with a long history of fighting for racial and income equality for Connecticut residents. A social worker, she serves on the board of directors for Urban Oaks Organic Farm and has worked for the Healthcare for All Coalition, the Connecticut Center for a New Economy and the NAACP. She protested with the Occupy Hartford movement in 2011, in support of pay equity and economic justice.

New Britain resident Brenda Torres is the longtime owner of one of Connecticut’s best known restaurants specializing in Puerto Rican cuisine, Criollisimo Restaurant in New Britain. Criollisimo also caters for weddings, the Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, UConn and functions at the state capitol building. Torres donates her time and skills to bring awareness to the Puerto Rican community.

Sue Bradley, of Plainville, is the college and career readiness center coordinator at Plainville High School. She is also the district’s volunteer coordinator for the Plainville Coalition for Positive Youth Development, whose mission is to promote a community environment that empowers children to make smart choices.

Since founding her own real estate company, TWM Development, LLC, Tabitha Wazorko-Manafort, of Plainville, has bought, renovated and sold many Plainville homes. A trustee for her alma mater, Albertus Magnus College and a member of the Plainville Community Food Pantry’s board of directors, she has also served on The Community Foundation of New Britain, on the Plainville board of education and with the Plainville Community Fund. She also finds time to coach several local youth sports teams.

Kendra Morales, of Bristol, is executive director of For Goodness Sake, a nonprofit organization that collects donations of furniture and household items and gives them to individuals and families who need them because of homelessness, fire or other difficulties. She is also a yoga instructor, volunteer with an animal rescue foundation, coach to her teenage daughter’s travel softball team and an executive headhunter.

Bristol resident Karen Vibert, a court stenographer, serves on the Bristol school board and is a tireless advocate for opening leadership positions to people of color and for families and children in need.

About Queen Ann Nzinga Center, Inc.

QANC is named for a 15th Century African queen who protected her people from being sold into slavery.  The name symbolizes the organization’s aim to empower young people with life skills, academic support and experiences to thrive. QANC, in its 26^th year, is a nonprofit 501(c)3 that serves a diverse, multi-racial and multi-cultural population of children and teens by providing arts and cultural enrichment in a multi-generational setting. The program uses the performing and creative arts to help participants achieve goals, build self-esteem, develop strong values, gain an appreciation of culture, learn about the rich African heritage and understand cultural diversity.  These principles are then highlighted in the culmination of the year-long program in a multi-generational Kwanzaa performance held annually in late December. http://www.qanc.org