Former Hartford Mayor Thirman L. Milner laid in state at City Hall on Thursday, the first former leader of the city to receive such an honor.
Milner, who died in November at the age of 91, became both Hartford’s and New England’s first popularly elected Black mayor when he took office in 1981. He served in the role until 1987.
“His commitment to public service and civil rights transformed Hartford and paved the way for future leaders,” current Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said in a statement. “Thirman embodied resilience and dedication, championing the needs of our community during challenging times. As we reflect on his contributions, let us honor his memory by continuing our work towards building a Hartford that works for all.”
On Friday, Milner will be memorialized at Hartford’s Metropolitan AME Zion Church with a 10 a.m. wake and a noon funeral service. Following the service, a procession will carry his body to his namesake Thirman L. Milner Middle School, Hartford City Hall, the Connecticut state Capitol and Spring Grove Cemetery for burial.
Virginia Monteiro, first vice president of the Connecticut State Conference of the NAACP and its Greater Hartford branch, is Milner’s stepdaughter. She remembers the man she called “Pops” as a champion of civil rights, with a particular eye toward equity in education.
“He wanted to make sure that whether you lived in the North End, South End or West End, that education, the same thing that was going on in one side of town, that it was equitable,” Monteiro said. “I think the biggest thing with Pops is it’s important that everyone has the opportunity to have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone, he felt, had that right, that civil right.”
Monteiro remembered the elation she and her family felt when her stepfather became Hartford’s first Black mayor.
“We were literally dancing in the street,” Monteiro said. “We were crying. We were dumbfounded. We couldn’t believe that this could even be possible. The impossible became the possible.”
Milner also served in the Connecticut Senate and House of Representatives and was president of the Greater Hartford NAACP. In his 2014 autobiography, “Up from Slavery: A History from Slavery to City Hall in New England,” Milner wrote about his time marching with Martin Luther King, Jr., during the Civil Rights Movement.
“In order to force change, you’ve got to be willing to stand in the fire,” Monteiro said. “And he really did do that.”
This story was originally published by Connecticut Public Radio. It was shared as part of the New England News Collaborative.
