(AURN News) — Gerald Talbot, a civil rights trailblazer and the first Black person elected to the Maine Legislature, died May 9 at age 94, according to The Main Wire.
Elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 1972, Talbot served three terms and helped pass the Maine Human Rights Act and the Maine Fair Housing Act, landmark laws aimed at combating discrimination in housing, education and public life.
His impact extended far beyond the Legislature. Talbot was the first president of the Portland branch of the NAACP and later chaired the Maine State Board of Education.
In 2020, Portland’s Riverton Elementary School was renamed the Gerald E. Talbot Community School in his honor.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills praised Talbot’s humility and civility. Talbot, a Democrat, spent decades advocating for civil rights and educational equity in Maine.
Gerald Talbot is survived by four daughters.
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