Strafford County Sheriff Mark Brave made history in 2021 when he became the first Black sheriff elected in New Hampshire.Brave, 35, said he immediately knew the significance of what he accomplished when he was elected.”Once it hit me that I had won, it was like, OK. Now all eyes on me. Game on,” he said.During his campaign, he said, he wasn’t sure he would make it this far. “It was tough for law enforcement,” he said. “And on top of that, I’m campaigning as a Black person in this state, in this county with the George Floyd murder, COVID kind of dangling over our heads at the time. The political environment with the presidential stuff — our county was divided in that aspect on the federal level.”Brave is following in the footsteps of people like Wentworth Cheswill, the first Black man to be elected to public office in the United States. In 1768, Cheswill was elected town constable of Newmarket, the first of many positions he held. “After he was elected, he served his community in some way for every year of his life but one,” said John Herman, of Newmarket. “He was constable, school teacher, assessor, the moderator.”Efforts are underway in Concord to honor Cheswill for his contributions. House Bill 1586 would display a likeness of Cheswill inside the State House.Following in Cheswill’s footsteps, Brave said he hopes his story inspires more Granite Staters.”As long as you have self-motivation regardless of the color of your skin, you’re going to get through to your goals,” he said.Some of the things Brave is proud of include Dover police bringing on social workers and more peer-to-peer mental health workers for the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office.
Strafford County Sheriff Mark Brave made history in 2021 when he became the first Black sheriff elected in New Hampshire.
Brave, 35, said he immediately knew the significance of what he accomplished when he was elected.
“Once it hit me that I had won, it was like, OK. Now all eyes on me. Game on,” he said.
During his campaign, he said, he wasn’t sure he would make it this far.
“It was tough for law enforcement,” he said. “And on top of that, I’m campaigning as a Black person in this state, in this county with the George Floyd murder, COVID kind of dangling over our heads at the time. The political environment with the presidential stuff — our county was divided in that aspect on the federal level.”
Brave is following in the footsteps of people like Wentworth Cheswill, the first Black man to be elected to public office in the United States. In 1768, Cheswill was elected town constable of Newmarket, the first of many positions he held.
“After he was elected, he served his community in some way for every year of his life but one,” said John Herman, of Newmarket. “He was constable, school teacher, assessor, the moderator.”
Efforts are underway in Concord to honor Cheswill for his contributions. House Bill 1586 would display a likeness of Cheswill inside the State House.
Following in Cheswill’s footsteps, Brave said he hopes his story inspires more Granite Staters.
“As long as you have self-motivation regardless of the color of your skin, you’re going to get through to your goals,” he said.
Some of the things Brave is proud of include Dover police bringing on social workers and more peer-to-peer mental health workers for the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office.
