Dannel P. Malloy, Governor of Connecticut, has been awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his advocacy on behalf of Syrian refugees, even welcoming one family into his own home. The prestigious award is named after President Kennedy’s book, Profiles in Courage, and is given annually to public officials who exhibit considerable courage and take a political risk by acting on principle.
The award was presented by Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy’s grandson, who called attention to the fact that “half of U.S. governors, numerous leading presidential candidates, and countless others across our country called for a ban on any and all Syrian refugees,” during a ceremony at the Kennedy library.
The family Governor Malloy took in had originally intended to move to Indiana. But following recent attacks in Paris many Republican governors, including Mike Pence of Indiana, closed their states to Syrian refugees.
“Suddenly in the middle of darkness, there was a light, a person who was generous in spirit and who was good, who accepted us,” said the mother of the family.
“There are those who would deny the very fabric of who we are and what we are, they would roll back the religious freedom we all hold so dear,” Malloy told the crowd at the ceremony. “When I saw that, I decided to raise my voice.” ♦
Connecticut Governor Awarded JFK Profile in Courage Award
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