In January 1971, Thomas Earl Gilmore, Sr. was sworn in as Sheriff of Greene County, becoming the first African American sheriff in the county's history and serving three consecutive terms until retiring from local politics. A native of Forkland, he worked tirelessly against Jim Crow laws and was beaten, arrested, and jailed in Greene County during the struggle for human and civil rights. Among the youngest in the country, he first sought the office in 1966 at age 24, but voting irregularities encumbered the election in the courts until after the 1970 election. Recruited by members of Dr. King's SCLC staff, Gilmore was inspired to adopt a non-violent philosophy and became remembered as the “Sheriff without a Gun”.