[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E70-E71]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE QUENTIN ``Q'' 
                            SOLDIER WILLIAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 30, 2023

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the City of Middletown and the State of 
Connecticut lost one of its brightest lights earlier this month with 
the tragic passing of State Representative Quentin ``Q'' Soldier 
Williams just hours after being sworn in for what would have been his 
third term as a State Representative representing Middletown in 
Connecticut's General Assembly. At only thirty-nine years old, Q was 
taken from us much too soon, and his loss reverberates throughout his 
community and our state.
  When running for President, Barack Obama said, ``Change will not come 
if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We 
are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.'' 
I cannot think of anyone who embodied that spirit more than Q.
  Born and raised in Middletown, Connecticut Q loved his hometown. When 
he first returned after graduating from Bryant University, he worked in 
finance where he developed a sense of how that industry could 
positively impact communities as well as how important it was for young 
people to better understand how a strong financial footing would help 
them succeed. He left the finance industry to become the Executive 
Director of the Middletown's Downtown Business District where he 
focused his time and energies on advocating for local business owners 
and finding innovative ways to encourage increased activity and tourism 
downtown.
  In tandem with these first professional steps, Q also began his 
journey into politics when he returned home from Bryant. Always seeking 
ways to make a difference and knowing influencing local government was 
key, Q joined the Middletown Young Democrats and the Middletown 
Democratic Town Committee. He was soon recruited to run for local 
office--first as an alternate to the Planning and Zoning Commission, 
which he eventually chaired, then as City Treasurer, a position in 
which he served for two terms. One of Q's proudest moments was on the 
evening of his election to his first term as State Representative for 
the 100th District, where he would represent his beloved hometown.
  Q was a proud product of the Middletown public school system, where 
as an adult he could often be found reading with elementary school 
students and mentoring those in middle and high school, but he also 
understood the challenges of urban classrooms and minority students. He 
found true professional fulfilment when he joined Excellence Community

[[Page E71]]

Schools as their Director for Advocacy and Policy where he played an 
instrumental role in the launch of Stamford Charier School for 
Excellence. His passion for equality in education also led Q to co-
found and serve as the co-director of EquityCT, a nonprofit dedicated 
to creating learning opportunities, building actionable understanding 
of equity. and dismantling systemic inequity through action and civic 
engagement.
  In addition to his professional and political work, Q was also deeply 
involved in the community itself. He sat on the Board of Directors for 
numerous community organizations, like the Oddfellows Playhouse Youth 
Theater, the Middletown Substance Abuse Action Council, the Middlesex 
United Way, and the Middletown Racial Justice Coalition to name just a 
few. He also volunteered his time and energies to local charitable 
efforts like the Community Foundation of Middlesex County Live Local 
Give Local 365 Fund, the Middlesex Chamber of Congress Young 
Professional Alliance, and the Columbus House Chocolate to the Rescue 
event. He was an active member of the Cross Street AME Zion Church and, 
most recently, Q proudly crossed the line, becoming a member of the 
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.--Beta Sigma Lambda Chapter.
  Former First Lady Michele Obama once said, ``People who are truly 
strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others 
together.'' By those definitions, Q Williams was one of the strongest, 
most powerful people I have ever had the honor to know. Whether it was 
a student, local business owner, constituent, family member, friend, or 
new acquaintance, he sought to open doors of opportunity, to help in 
any way he could. He would always ask, ``how can I help you?'' He saw 
the potential in everyone and in everything, developing networks and 
connections that enabled him to connect the right people with each 
other so that potential could be realized. With every smile, every 
laugh, every action, and every word, he raised others up and brought 
people together. It was extraordinary to witness.
  Q had the widest smile and the most gregarious laugh for which he 
will always be remembered. Though still so young, he touched countless 
lives and hearts through his commitment and love for his community. As 
someone recently so eloquently put, the Honorable Quentin ``Q'' Soldier 
Williams will forever be Middletown's favorite son. As we continue to 
grieve his loss, I extend my deepest condolences and heart-felt 
sympathies to his wife, Carrissa, and his mother, Queen. There are no 
words to ease their sorrow, but I hope they find some comfort in 
knowing just how deeply he will be missed and how greatly all those 
fortunate enough to have known him will strive to honor his memory.

                          ____________________