Day columnist to receive NAACP special recognition

Day columnist David Collins will be presented with a Special Recognition Award by the New London branch of the NAACP.

Collins wrote a series of columns this year that were critical of city officials in the firing the first black firefighter to have been hired by the city in 30 years. Alfred Mayo was reinstated in the fire department earlier this month.

In a press release Wednesday, the NAACP Freedom Fund Committee, thanked Collins for "advancing the cause of civil rights in New London and connecting, informing and enlightening the citizens of southeastern Connecticut about issues concerning civil rights and justice for all."

The award will be presented June 28 at the Freedom Fund Dinner at Port 'N Starboard, Ocean Beach Park, New London.