Some know Alvin W. Penn as a longtime public servant, representing Bridgeport for five terms in the Connecticut Senate. 

Others know him as the namesake of the Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Prohibition Act, which prohibits racial profiling in traffic stops across the state. 

But to MPA candidate Sincere Valentine, he was simply “P-pop.”  

Sincere Valentine grew up in Bridgeport, Connecticut, raised primarily by his mother in a close-knit family where stories about “P-pop” were always present, even if details were sometimes sparse. Alvin W. Penn, a formative family figure who helped raise Valentine’s mother from a young age, remained a central presence in their lives until his passing in 2003, when Valentine was just a year old. 

“I don’t have direct memories of him,” Valentine says. “But through stories from my mom, my grandma, and my uncle, I feel like I do.” 

Those stories painted a picture of a man deeply committed to his family, his community, and, above all, education. Valentine recalls hearing how Penn instilled discipline and curiosity in his children, often turning everyday requests into learning opportunities. 

“If they wanted something, he’d tell them to write an essay about why they want it,’” Valentine says with a laugh. “Or he’d have them read the dictionary. He was big on education, big on hard work.” 

For much of his childhood, Valentine understood that his grandfather had been a respected public servant doing important work in Bridgeport. But it wasn’t until his teenage years that he began to grasp the scope of that legacy. 

As a participant in the Bridgeport Junior Council Program, Valentine had the opportunity to shadow town council members, attend public meetings and engage with community leaders. During the program’s closing ceremony, his lineage to Penn was mentioned. 

“Once people found out, it was like everything shifted,” he says. “Person after person came up to me saying, ‘Your grandfather was a great man.’ That was the first time I really realized how much his name meant.” 

Still, even then, the full significance of Penn’s impact – and the law bearing his name – had yet to come into focus. 

After graduating from high school in 2020 and enrolling at the University of Connecticut, Valentine pursued a degree in political science with a minor in sociology, driven by a longstanding interest in how systems shape people’s everyday lives. 

“I’ve always been interested in how things work, especially when it comes to government and the welfare of people,” he says. “I knew I wanted to do something in criminal justice or public service.” 

Initially considering law school, Valentine instead found himself drawn to public policy. During his senior year, a chance conversation at a career fair with Bryan Callender, UConn’s School of Public Policy outreach coordinator, introduced him to the Master of Public Administration program. 

As he learned more, the fit became clear. 

“Instead of enforcing the law, I realized I could be part of creating it,” he says. “That felt like a greater impact.” 

Now in his first year of the MPA program, Valentine is exploring how to align his interest in criminal justice with policy work. That exploration led him just down the hall from the School of Public Policy to the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) and, unexpectedly, back to his grandfather’s legacy. 

In 1996, while serving in the state Senate, Alvin W. Penn was stopped and questioned by a white police officer while driving through Trumbull, a largely white town near his home in Bridgeport. When Penn challenged the stop, the officer reportedly refused to provide a reason and threatened to issue a ticket if he pressed further. 

The incident helped spur action. In 1999, the General Assembly passed the Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Prohibition Act on a bipartisan basis, prohibiting law enforcement from stopping or searching individuals based on race or other protected characteristics. 

To strengthen implementation, the state later established an advisory board in 2012 to standardize traffic stop data collection across departments. That work continues today through the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project (CTRP3), housed at IMRP, which supports transparency, accountability, and a data-driven approach to policing. 

“I knew the law existed, but I didn’t realize how much it was still being used, studied, and expanded,” Valentine says, describing a realization that was both personal and profound. 

CTRP3’s work has been so significant in Connecticut that Ken Barone, project manager and IMRP’s associate director, regularly receives inquiries from other states, including Illinois, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C., about implementing the “Connecticut Model” in their jurisdictions.   

View “We Want You to Know…” CTRP3’s PSA about racial profiling

“It made me feel like his work, what he went through, it wasn’t for nothing,” Sincere says of his grandfather. “Even after his lifetime, it’s still making a difference.” 

That moment also reframed how he sees his own path forward. 

Rather than feeling pressure to live up to a legacy, Valentine sees opportunity. 

“I don’t look at it as a weight,” he says. “I look at it as a chance. I’ve always been interested in criminal justice and making things better—this just adds more meaning to it.” 

His family shares that perspective. After learning more about the ongoing work connected to Penn’s law, Valentine’s mother encouraged him to continue exploring ways to get involved. 

“She told me, ‘This is a sign – you have to keep going,’” he says. 

As Valentine continues his studies, he is eager to deepen his engagement with IMRP and the broader policy work happening in Connecticut. Whether through research, community connections, or program support, he hopes to contribute to efforts that improve systems and strengthen trust between communities and institutions. 

For Valentine, the journey is not about replicating his grandfather’s path but building on the values he left behind. 

“I want to strive for greatness,” he says. “If I can be part of something that makes things better for people, that’s what matters.” 

And in doing so, he is not only discovering the depth of a legacy but he is also beginning to define his own. 

“I love my grandpa, but I want to make my own mark as well.”