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

Former Hartford mayor Thirman Milner, known for becoming the first Black mayor in all of New England, has died at the age of 91, officials confirmed to NBC Connecticut. Milner became the first African-American elected mayor in New England in 1974,

The first Black mayor of New England, Thirman L. Milner, has died at age 91, according to the Connecticut NAACP. The announcement was made Friday on the official Connecticut NAACP Instagram account. “It is with deep sorrow that the Connecticut State Conference of the NAACP announces the passing of Thirman L.