Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has been named the recipient of this year's John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Awardfor supporting the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the U.S. following the Paris terrorist attacks and personally welcoming a Syrian family to Connecticut that had been turned away from Indiana.
Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President Kennedy, credited Malloy on Monday with taking "a stand against the hateful, xenophobic rhetoric" when some governors and presidential candidates sought a ban on Syrian refugees. He said the Democratic governor could have chosen the politically expedient course and remained silent on the issue.
Malloy is scheduled to receive the award in Boston on May 1. He said he's very moved to be receiving the award.
"What I have always stood for is a more inclusive society," Malloy said on Monday during a press conference. "Whether it's on the transgender recognition, or quite frankly, standing up to a fair amount of ignorance around the refugee issue, these issues are all important to me, and to be so recognized for it is a tremendous honor."
Former Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker, Jr. received the award in 1992 for ushering in the personal income tax.
Ray Hardman contributed to this report.
