Commentary by Frank Schroth

We of Milton, a small town that sits between the Neponset River and the Blue Hills, have a lot to love, a lot to be grateful for, and a lot to be proud of. But even for a town that was the home of Governors Belcher and Hutchinson, was the birthplace of President George H.W. Bush, and saw the writing of the Suffolk Resolves, Monday was an extraordinarily historic day.

It was the day on which Milton’s Roderick Ireland was sworn in as chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the first African American to hold that position. That in itself is a major milestone. What makes this so remarkable for Milton is that this town is also home to Governor Patrick, the first African American Governor of Massachusetts and Carmen Ortiz, the first Hispanic and first woman, to serve as a US Attorney in the Justice Department.

This particular occasion pins a bright badge of diversity on our town that is truly unique.