Anthony Brown was sworn in Tuesday as Maryland’s first Black attorney general, vowing to increase equity and “dismantle barriers of opportunities,” CBS News reported.
The 61-year-old Democrat, who has served as a congressman, lieutenant governor, and state legislator, acknowledged the historic nature of his recent victory and what it means at this critical time in the country.
“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 during his swearing-in ceremony in Annapolis.
“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,” he added.
Brown announced an agenda with the intent to ensure equity and justice for all Marylanders. He pledged to “combat discrimination and bias in housing, in the marketplace and workplace, and in educational and economic opportunities.”
His historic victory is just one of several significant leadership changes in Maryland state, including the election of Wes Moore, the state’s first Black governor, who will be inaugurated on January 18.
Brown was most recently the representative for Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, a position he held for five years before taking on his current position. From 1999 to 2007, he served in the Maryland House of Delegates before becoming the state’s lieutenant governor for two terms.
