A Tribute to Israel Brooks, Jr.

NEWBERRY — “Fellow Newberrians, I shall never deceive you. You may be assured that I will forever hold in high esteem the pride in our city. Where I have been or hope to go, Newberry is still home.”

This quote, expressed by the late Israel Brooks Jr. in August of 1994, perfectly epitomizes the nature of the iconic Newberrian who became the first African American state trooper with the S.C. Highway Patrol, before rising through the ranks and eventually becoming a U.S. marshal for the state under the Clinton Administration.

Despite his continued success, both on the local and national level, Brooks never forgot where he came from. He continued to give back to Newberry throughout his life, and the Museum considers it an honor and a privilege to help tell his story now, at The Newberry Museum.

In 1967, Brooks reached the critical, aforementioned career milestone for the South Carolina Highway Patrol. He also had the honor of becoming the first African American promoted to a supervisory rank within the South Carolina Highway Patrol, where he quickly advanced to corporal, then sergeant, and ultimately, lieutenant.

In 1990, Brooks was promoted to major, and was assigned as Highway Patrol Administrative Officer with administrative duties for the entire South Carolina Highway System. In March 1994, he resigned from this duty in order to become U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina under the Clinton administration.

During his time as a law enforcement professional, Brooks received a plethora of awards, including the National Public Service Award, the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor awarded by the governor of South Carolina, and the District 6 Highway Patrolman of the Year Award.

However, the goal for the exhibit was for it to encapsulate more than his enormous legacy as a Marine and law enforcement expert, as well as all of his “firsts.”

The museum wanted the exhibit to spotlight his life in its entirety, in order for our visitors to leave feeling like they truly knew Brooks, whether they had the privilege of meeting him in person or not.

In order to do this, they have also made a conscious effort to spotlight Brooks’ passion for his family, his community and philanthropy, and his faith. Using impactful Bible verses to punctuate each panel, this exhibit illustrates the ways in which both the life and legacy of Israel Brooks, Jr. continues to impact his community, his family, and standards for law enforcement, both at the regional and state level.

This exhibit would not have been possible without the help of Nadine and Barbara Brooks, Israel’s daughter and wife, as well as Jim McClary with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame Museum.

The exhibit opened on Tuesday, June 29, and will remain until Saturday, October 9.