State Senator Pat Billie Miller (D-Stamford) has accepted the 2022 Alpha Nu’s Citizen of the Year award. The Alpha Nu Chapter of the Omega PSI PHI Fraternity Inc. in the Stamford-Norwalk District, chose Senator Miller during International Achievement Week which promotes the study of African American Life and History.
“I am honored to be recognized by Alpha Nu which does so much good in our community,” said Senator Miller. “I feel it is my duty to proactively amplify the voices of women in our state, especially for women of color. There is much we have accomplished but we know there is still a lot of work left to do.”
National Achievement Week began at the 1920 Grand Conclave in Nashville. Brother Carter G. Woodson inspired the overall idea. In 1927, at Brother Woodson’s urging, the Fraternity made National Negro Achievement Week an annual observance. In 1976, this commemoration evolved into Black History Month. The Achievement Week Program recognizes those individuals at the local and national levels who have made significant contributions toward improving the quality of life for African Americans.
On March 8, 2021, Senator Miller became the first woman to represent the 27th district, which includes sections of Stamford and Darien. Senator Miller also became the first person of color to represent the district.
She is only the fourth Black woman to serve in the state Senate and is currently one of two Black female legislators including state Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport/Monroe/Trumbull), serving in the upper chamber.
Senator Miller has since supported legislation that focuses on bringing more transparency into the workplace with equal pay between men and women, pushed to eliminated workplace discrimination against women, advocated for residents in long-term care facilities, and has helped bridge the opportunity gap between students by offering a program that will provide science-based literacy interventions.
Before joining the Senate, Miller proudly served Stamford’s 145th district as a member of the state House of Representatives since 2009. She was elected to a sixth term in November 2020 before being tapped to fill the seat in the Senate formerly held by Carlo Leone through a special election she won convincingly.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is the first international fraternal organization founded on the campus of a historically black college. The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded on November 17, 1911. Chartered in 1965, Alpha Nu Chapter is the home of Omega Men who follow the Fraternity’s cardinal principles of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift. Alpha Nu set models for other chapters within the first district to measure up to and to follow. Many scholarships were given to high school and college students The chapter became a partner with the George Washington Carver Center in Norwalk with the goals being to help uplift the community.
