Michigan’s First Black Woman Supreme Court Justice

In a candid conversation that delved into personal history and professional accomplishments, Kyra Bolden, a trailblazing figure in Michigan’s legal and political spheres, shared her journey and insights. Beginning with her childhood roots in Southfield, Michigan, Kyra recounted how her upbringing in a middle-class, majority-minority community endowed her with a sense of boundless possibilities.

Kyra Harris Bolden made history in 2023 by becoming the youngest (at that time) and first melanated female appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court. A native of Southfield Michigan and a graduate of University of Detroit Mercy School of Law., Now Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, her desire to serve and see others receive the fair treatment they deserve partly stem from the injustice within her own family. In an interview with Essences Magazine Kyra stated “ My great-grandfather, Jesse Lee Bond, was lynched in Tennessee in 1939 after asking the store owner for a receipt. He was beaten and castrated and thrown into the local river. The coroner deemed it an accidental drowning, and as a result, his murderers walked free. That injustice drove me to pursue a legal career. I wanted other families to see justice, in a way that my family had not seen justice,”

Justice Bolden also has worked and served as a civil litigation attorney, criminal defense attorney, and judge. She also represented her community as a member of the Michigan State House . Justice Bolden has received many awards and accolades and according to her records she received the 2019 Detroit Association of Women’s Clubs, Inc. “Young Women Lifting As We Climb Image Award,” the 2019 African American Leadership Awards “Emerging Leader Award,” a 2020 Michigan Chronicle “40 Under 40 Award,” 2021 “Legislative Economic Development Champion Award,” and the 2021 Michigan Credit Union League “Legislator of the Year Award.”

Justice Kyra Harris Bolden is continuing to make strides for justice and pave the way for other women of color to do the same. “I hope that my voice on the court will inspire future generations to pursue their dreams,"