New England’s first popularly elected black mayor, Thirman Milner, has died at 91

HARTFORD, Conn. – Former Hartford Mayor Thirman Milner, New England’s first popularly elected black mayor, has died, the Connecticut NAACP announced Friday. He was 91 years old.

Milner’s death was announced Friday afternoon in a statement on the Instagram page for the Connecticut Conference of the NAACP.

“His tenure was marked by significant steps towards equity, justice and empowerment for all,” the statement said, adding that memorial arrangements will be held. The statement did not say exactly when or where Milner died.

Milner was New England’s first popularly elected black mayor. He served as the Democratic mayor of Hartford from 1981 to 1987. He was also a Connecticut state representative and state senator. He was also a past president and lifetime member of the Greater Hartford NAACP, the organization said.

Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont praised Milner in a statement recognizing his political contributions and civil rights work, which included marching with Martin Luther King, Jr., saying, “he used his influence to produce positive changes in Hartford, specifically focusing on many of them. his efforts on the need to ensure that all children — regardless of their family’s income level or the neighborhood in which they grew up — have access to a quality education that prepares them for success.”

Milner was a descendant of enslaved black and Native American ancestors, according to a 2010 Associated Press profile of him upon the publication of his memoir, “Up from Slavery: A History from Slavery to City Hall in New England.” He was raised by a widowed mother who got by, in part, with government assistance.

“The proudest thing in my life was not becoming mayor myself, but giving my mother the chance to see her youngest son become mayor of the city he grew up in,” Milner said at the time.

His life experience has been informed by his work and those he has met along the way, from Nelson Mandela to Jimmy Carter, Bishop Desmond Tutu and President Barack Obama.