WASHINGTON — A Hagerstown educator recently made history in the Maryland State House.
Dr. Brenda Thiam was sworn in as delegate of Maryland District 2B Tuesday. Thiam, a Republican, will be the first female African-American Republican legislator to serve in Maryland’s General Assembly, according to Gov. Larry Hogan's office.
Gov. Hogan appointed Thiam to serve as Hagerstown’s delegate in September after appointing her predecessor, Paul Corderman, to the vacant state senate seat in Washington County in August.
Thiam was running as a candidate for the Hagerstown City Council prior to her appointment to the Maryland House of Delegates. She said she decided to take her new role in Annapolis when the Washington County Republican Central Committee recommended to Gov. Hogan she be considered for the open delegate seat.
“The question that I posed to myself was how can I be more of an advocate for my community?” Thiam said. “And what role will help me do more?”
Thiam has been a special education teacher for nearly 25 years. She said she has a special passion for teaching children with autism.
Thiam said she decided to become a Republican in 2012.
“I didn't like the path that the Democratic Party was going down back in 2012,” she said.
Thiam said she finds herself more in line with the GOP’s stances on the economy and social issues. She said the way she was raised as a young girl by her mother in North Carolina influenced her party swap.
“My mom, who was a single mom, always taught us to work hard and don't rely on the government to give you a handout,” she said.
Thiam said while she supports President Donald Trump and his policies, she adds she is not the sort of person who will shout and yell on social media at people who have differing viewpoints.
She said she has made it a point to be respectful of others' personal beliefs.
“You respect me, I respect you,” she said. “That's all we can do.”
However, Thiam said she has lost a few friends due to her political beliefs over the years too.
“When they realized that I was Republican, [they] literally blocked me from Facebook, blocked my number, and I can't reach out to them," she said. "So, you know, that has been a challenge.”
In Annapolis, Thiam said she wants to focus on education and helping children.
“If I can be a part of some conversation at that table and help make some decisions about education and people with disabilities, I certainly would like to be a part of those conversations,” she said.
Thiam also said she wants to do her best to fight the opioid epidemic by directing more funds to programs and facilities that work in the field.
“Certainly, being here in Hagerstown, we are greatly impacted by the opioid crisis and heroin addictions and things of that nature,” she said. “People are really struggling and family members are losing loved ones, due to this addiction.”
Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne Jones swore Thiam in on Tuesday. Last year, Jones became the first woman and African-American to become Maryland’s Speaker of the House.