ANSONIA – When he was a kid, watching “Law & Order” on his family’s TV screen in New Haven, Erick Russell knew he wanted to become a lawyer.
He proceeded to do exactly that. Coming from an interracial family which had left discrimination in Tennessee, Russell went on to become the first member of his family to graduate college, and then the first to graduate law school, where civil rights icon and former U.S. Rep. John Lewis spoke at his commencement.
Russell recounted that journey during a Black history month event at the Valley PROUD Center (293 Main St.) Feb. 16.
Russell, who has been Connecticut’s state treasurer since 2023 and is the first openly gay Black person elected to a statewide office, introduced a crowd of about 30 children and community members to his life, his journey, and the work he now does at the state level.
Russell spoke alongside elected officials including Ansonia Mayor Frank Tyszka and state Rep. Kara Rochelle, as well as the PROUD Center’s founder, Patricia Nicolari and the center’s principal, David Brown.
In his remarks, Russell said he was first introduced to state politics while he was attending college.
“But there weren’t a lot of folks from communities like the one I grew up in, or with that same background or perspective, sitting at the table,” Russell said.
He said he was inspired by his college professor Michael Lawlor, a criminal justice educator and former state representative who has been open for decades about being gay.
“I had never seen someone who was successful, who was out, who was respected in that way. So it was such an eye opener for me about being able to live and to be myself,” he said.
Russell practiced law for about 11 years after graduation, he said. During that time, he stayed involved in LGBTQ communities, including a stint as the chair of the LGBT section of the Connecticut Bar Association.
During his law years, Russell represented the state treasurer’s office at times and worked on economic development initiatives, which he said helped inform his decision to run for the state treasurer position.
Since taking office, Russell has spearheaded efforts including a $300 million expansion for early childcare, a state ‘baby bonds’ program which sets aside $3,200 in investments for children born into poverty, and steady improvements to the performance of the state’s pension fund.
When asked about the hardest parts of his job, Russell said it can be difficult to navigate “politics creeping into things that frankly should not be political.”
He said those political intrusions include efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to take back congressionally approved funding connected to DEI initiatives and gender-affirming care for children, efforts which have dominated national news headlines in the year since his return to office.
Russell, reflecting on the occasion’s connection to both Black History Month and gay pride, said the two have always been connected.
“When you talk about Black History Month and you tie this to Pride, we don’t often tell the stories when we celebrate Pride. But Pride started as a riot. The history of Pride is in rebellion. And it was largely started by trans women, particularly trans women of color, who were tired of being brutalized and beaten and harassed and rose up,” Russell said.
Russell was referring to the Stonewall riots which started June 28, 1969, when New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn and triggered a series of demonstrations that lasted for weeks. Following the demonstrations, drag queens and transgender women including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera formed organizations dedicated to advocating for LGBTQ rights.
In 2016, former President Barack Obama established the Stonewall National Monument at the site of the demonstrations.
The event also included two student speakers – third grader Mike, who gave a presentation about Jackie Robinson’s smashing of the baseball color barrier in 1947, and eighth grader Anyla, who sang a rendition of the song “Stand Up” from Broadway’s production of Wicked.
Mike, who plays baseball himself, said in his presentation that Robinson’s achievements showed that sports are for everyone to share.
“I’m white. My dad is Black. And baseball is something we share,” he said in his presentation.
Robinson, who famously wore the number 42 and helped carry the Brooklyn Dodgers to a World Series title in 1955, is now remembered each year on April 15 – the anniversary of his first appearance with the Dodgers – with players donning his jersey number in his memory.
“Because of Jackie Robinson, baseball changed. Because of Jackie Robinson, other sports began to integrate. Because of Jackie Robinson, opportunities opened up for Black athletes, kids, teenagers, adults, old people,” Mike said.
Mike, after Russell’s presentation, had a question for the state treasurer regarding the state “baby bonds” program.
“You put them in investment. Do you put them in an index fund?” Mike asked.
“You are coming for my job,” Russell replied while laughing, before giving an overview of the different avenues the state invests its money in.
The event also served as an opportunity for the PROUD Center to advocate for funding from the state. The organization was approved by the state to open a charter school in early 2025, but the state legislature did not fund the school that year.
This year, Nicolari and the organization’s board members are pushing again for the state to fund the school. Tyszka and Rochelle each said in their remarks that they support the group’s efforts.
The Valley PROUD Center opened on Main Street in August with funding from The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit which previously helped open over 50 charter schools in Indiana.
Services offered at the PROUD Center in its current form include support groups, homework assistance, and lessons on topics ranging from essay-writing to guitar.