The New Year brings a historic first for the Maryland’s attorney general office.
On Tuesday, Anthony Brown was sworn in as Maryland’s first Black attorney general, CBS News reported.
Brown secured the post by making commitments to justice and equity, decriminalizing marijuana, abortion rights, mass incarceration of Black and brown men, and more.
Brown, a 61-year-old Democrat, former congressman, lieutenant governor and state legislator, acknowledges he is taking on his role at “such a critical moment in our nation’s history” but accepts the challenge.
“It is not lost on me that I am the first African American to hold this office and to assume this awesome responsibility,” Brown said at his swearing-in ceremony Tuesday.
“And I do so at such a critical moment in our nation’s history—a moment when extremist views are challenging our democracy and curtailing fundamental rights, and our economy is failing some while rewarding others.”
As he steps into his new responsibility, Brown wants to push for background checks for gun purchases, voting access, and legislation that would allow him to sue companies and individuals who break civil rights laws, according to DCist. During his speech, he asked the governor and general assembly to grant higher salaries for law enforcement employees, and more funding for investigations and training.
Brown’s historic election is one of several momentous changes in Maryland state’s leadership, including the state’s first Black governor, Wes Moore, whose inauguration is scheduled for January 18. The Office of Attorney General is welcoming an all-women senior leadership team: Candace McLaren Lanham, Carolyn Quattrocki, and Zenita Wickham Hurley.
“The pursuit of equity and justice is where we in the Office of the Attorney General stand every day, and it’s where I’ll stand until my last day as your attorney general,” Brown said, per DCist.
Before assuming his current role, Brown brings with him a political history that has helped him transition into a leading voice on equity and justice matters both in Maryland and on Capitol Hill. From record expungement and fairness in sentencing to domestic violence and neglected children, Brown aims to protect every individual and empower every community.
He most recently served as the representative for Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, a position he held for five years. He was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1999 to 2007 before serving two terms as the state’s lieutenant governor.
The Huntington, NY, native, father, and husband received his law degree from Harvard before serving as an Army aviator.